We're All In This Together
by MikennaPorter
Summary: Have you ever wondered what happened to the characters of high school musical? Well, this story shows them twenty years later. Go and check it out! Disclaimer: I don't own high school musical
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One:**  
I wake up in the morning the same old same old routine. Get dressed grab some breakfast and then go to school. Well this year is going to be different. How you might ask? Well today is the start of my senior year at East High. The same school that both of my parents graduated from. If you are thinking that I am under a lot of pressure you would be right. It s not like my mom was the super genius in the school, or that my dad was the basketball star that led East High to win back to back championships two years in a row. Oh, wait that is me. Anyways you get the point. I m the daughter of Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez, both of which are amazingly successful. It is too much pressure.  
My dad up until last year played for the Heat. He suffered a pretty bad blow to his knees and had surgery and extensive therapy to strengthen both of his knees. But he now just recruits players and still does all the publicity junk. I m not complaining but imagine the pressure that I am under when it comes to basketball. And my mom, well she is a lawyer at an amazing law firm. She went to Stanford and well she is a super genius, but surprisingly my parents don t put any pressure on me, I already do that myself.  
So as you can see that's my life. Normal and ordinary, ok not so much. And then there are the pesky brothers I forgot to mention. Well I have three brothers. All of them are younger than me, and super irritating at times. First there is my oldest brother Zachary. He is fourteen years old, and in eighth grade. He is probably the nicest of my brothers. He and I get along really well. He, like myself does well in school and plays basketball pretty well. I could see him one day going pro. Anyhow he is not the average younger brother, I really do enjoy hanging out with him, and he doesn't bug me to the point of exasperation, not yet anyhow.  
Then there are the other two. Well the next one is actually Zachary's twin brother. His name is Caleb. He is the complete opposite of Zach. He does irritate me sometimes, but it s because he thinks that he is just like me, but doesn't seem to realize that he is still in middle school. It is hard to be the oldest, but I do my best at it anyhow. Caleb, is one of those brother s that even though he might bring me to the point of exasperation, he is a good kid. Then there s my youngest brother, Zander. Well, Zander, we call him Zane for short. Anyhow he is the typical sixth grader. He thinks that he can rule the world, just because he is in middle school. Boys, they really can be annoying. Anyhow he is a mix of Zach and Caleb.  
Really I do love my brother s even when they irritate me to my breaking point. What can I say, they are really sweet brothers, and I at least have it better than some of my friends.  
I then start getting ready. Today, like I have said before is the start of my senior year. It's make it or break it time. I then put on the perfect outfit and put on a thin layer of makeup. I then go downstairs. Once I get down there I hear the voices of my parents. I then go into the kitchen to get some coffee.  
"Good morning, Jessie."My mom says.

"Good morning."I say.

"I can't believe that she is a senior." My dad says.

"Well, she had to grow up at some point." My mom says.

"Yeah, I guess so." I say.

"Well the good thing is that you have been practicing all summer for basketball season." My dad says.

"Yeah." I say."Hopefully I can land a couple of scholarships."

"And maybe make it into the WNBA."My dad adds.

"Dad, I don't think that I want to do that." I say.

"Well, at least keep your options open." He says. "It would be good for you to get into to it at least."

"We'll see." I say.

"Alright." He says. "Would you do me a favor and make sure your brother's are up. I don t want them to be late."

"Ok." I say.

I then go back upstairs to my brother's rooms. When I walk into Zach and Caleb s room, I am very careful. First off, I don t want to trip over their mess, and two it is really dark in here. I then go over to Caleb s bed. I shove him to wake up.

"Mom, five more minutes." He says sleepily.

"One it's not mom, and two you need to wake up it is already seven o clock." I say.

"Then who are you?" He asks

"Jessie." I say.

"Oh." He says. "I guess I better get up."

"Yeah, you might want to." I say. " Do you know where Zach is?"

"No." He says.

"Ok, well thanks for the help."I say sarcastically. I then walk out of the room, and walk into Zane's room. When I walk in, he is just standing in his room with his boxers on.

"Get out!" He yells.

"Sorry." I say. I then walk out. As I back out of his room, I run right into Zach. "I'm so sorry."

"You're good." He says with a laugh. "I probably should've warned you that Zane would be in his boxers."

"Yeah, that might have been a good idea, but it's alright." I say. "I changed his diapers. "

"Ok, but he seemed to care." He says.

"Yeah, I think that the whole world knows." I say.

"It's too bad that we won't be at East High together." He says.

"Yeah, but this way you are at the top in middle school." I say.

"True." He says.

"I didn't think about that. Plus, you and Caleb will have East High all to yourselves, until Zane is old enough to come there." I say.

"Yeah." He says.

"Alright, you have to leave in like thirty minutes."I say.

"Are you taking us?" He asks.

"I can, but you have to be ready in thirty minutes, because I have to be at school by eight fifteen, and if I have to drop you guys off, we ll have to hurry." I say.

"Ok, I ll spread the word." He says. I then walk into my room and grab a bag and a couple of other things that I will need for school. I then walk down the stairs and go into the kitchen and start making a smoothie. I then pour the mixture into a cup and take a sip of it.

"I don't see how all you eat for breakfast is a smoothie." Zach says.

"Well, she is a girl." My mom says.

"Besides, I like smoothies." I say.

"What did you put in it?" He asks.

"Fruit, and juice." I say. " Do you want some, you can have what s left in the blender?"

'Sure, I ll try some." He says. He then gets out a glass and pours the rest of the smoothie mixture into the cup. He then takes a sip.

"So what do you think?" I ask.

"It's pretty good." He says.

"See, I told you." I say with a smile. A little time goes by and then I leave to take my brothers to school.  
When I reach the middle school, I drop them off.

"Jess, who s picking us up?" Caleb asks.

"Dad, should be." I say. "Otherwise you will have to wait a while."

"Ok, I ll text him to find out." He says. "I'll let you know if you need to pick us up."

"Ok, hope you guys have a great day." I say.

"You too." Zach says. I then drive off. I then head over to my school which is about a ten minute drive depending on traffic. This morning, I think that it is going to be much worse.  
I am stuck siting through three red lights before I am able to turn into my school. When I get there I pull into a parking space and walk into the school. When I get to the entrance, I see Chris standing there with two cups of coffee in his hand.  
"Hey, I thought that you were never going to show up." He says.

"I'm sorry, I had to drop off my brothers." I say. "And the traffic was horrendous."

"Well, I got you some coffee." He says. He then hands me a cup.

"Thanks." I say. "You are the best, best friend in the history of best friends."

"You're welcome, but we were destined to be best friends." He says.

"True, but just because our parents are great friends didn't mean that we had to." I say. "other than the fact that we have known each other since we were in diapers."

"Yeah, exactly." He says.

"I guess it was destined for us to be friends." I say with a smile. The bell then rings. "But if we don t get to class we both will be destined for detention." We both laugh and go to our first class of the day.

It is so great to have a friend like Chris, we really have been friends since birth. Our moms would always set play dates up for us. At first I thought that he was so weird but eventually I realized what a great friend he really is, and I think that he would feel the same way.  
Once school lets out, I go home. I then start on my homework. I don t really have that much, but I knew that I should start it now rather than waiting until two o clock in the morning.

Once I have finished my homework, I go downstairs and see my brothers playing basketball outside on our court. I then walk out there.  
"Hey, are you guys having fun?" I ask.

"Yeah, do you want to play?" Zane asks.

"I don t know." I say.

"Why not, come on, it would be fun." Caleb says.

"Unless you re afraid that you'll lose." Zach says.

Guys, you all know how competitive I am." I say.

"Which is why you should play." Zach says.

"Alright, but I need to change, I ll be back in two seconds." I say as I run inside the house to change.  
When I come back, my dad is standing there. "Wait so you guys decided to kick me out of the game?"

"No, dad wanted to play too." Zach says.

"Oh, wait where did Zane go?" I ask.

"He went inside, he said that he had too much homework."Caleb says.

"Poor guy, first day of middle school and he already has homework." I say.

"Are you going to play?" Dad asks.

"Yeah." I say. "Have you all already picked teams?"

"No, we were waiting on you." Caleb says.  
"Ok, so how about dad and Jess, versus Caleb and me. Zach says Wait that isn't fair." Caleb says.  
"How?" Zach asks.

"She has dad." Caleb says.

"But she s a girl." Zach says.  
"True, we should be able to beat them." Caleb says.

"Are you two girls ready to play?" I ask.

"You're the only girl out here." Caleb says.

"I know that." I say. We then start the game. At first, they kind of go easy on us until they remember that I play pretty well and, dad even with hurt knees is still really good. They then press us just a little bit harder. In the end we beat them.

"Good job, Jess." My dad says.

"Thanks dad, you did really well out there too." I say.

"Well the only reason that you won, was because you had a pro on your team." Caleb says.

"You guys have to remember I'm not as young as I used to be." Dad says.

"I had forgotten that Jess has been playing since she could walk." Caleb says.

"Yeah well, y'all did too." I say.

"She does have a point." Zach says. "We all then go inside. Mom is in the kitchen fixing dinner."

"Mom, do you need any help?" I ask.

"No, I think I've got it, thank you though." She says.

"I could use some company though. Ok, how was your day?" I ask.

"It was work." She says. "How was your day?"

"Mom, it was school." I say. "It wasn't all that bad I suppose."

"Well, that's good." She says. "East High is a great school, I'm glad that you were able to go there."

"Me too." I say.

"Maybe you'll meet your true love, like I did." She says.

"But you met him at a ski lodge." I say.

"Yeah, but it was fate that I just happened to move here and go to the same school as your father." She says.

"It is sort of magical. I love hearing about how you met." I say. "I think that it is sweet."

"Me too." She says. "I hope that you find someone just as great if not better than your father."

"That might be hard to do. My dad says.

"Troy". "Mom says.

"What, it's the truth. He says You are too full of yourself, Troy Bolton." Mom says. He then kisses her.  
"I remember when you would yell out gross every time we would kiss in front of you." He says.

"Yeah, well what can I say, I m growing up dad." I say.

"That you are." He says. "Man, it feels like just yesterday, you were a little girl and now you re a senior in high school."

"It was bound to happen one day." I say.

"That is true, Troy." Mom says. "She can t stay a little girl forever."

"Well, at least she hasn't dated any guys yet." Dad says.

"Dad, I think that most guys are terrified of you." I say.

"They probably are, and they should be, I don t want anyone to hurt my little girl, no matter how old you become."He says.

"It's good to know that someone has my back." I say.

"I think that we all have your back." Zach says.

"You guys are so crazy." I say.

"Well, we are a crazy family." Caleb says.

"True." I say.


	2. Chapter 2

So here's the next chapter of my story. I hope that you all enjoy :)

I do not own High School Musical.

Thank you to all of you that have read my story so far, it makes me happy!

* * *

Chapter Two:

It feels like just yesterday that I started my senior year. I then look at my phone, and the date is October 16, man its already been a month. People weren't kidding when they said that senior year flew by really fast. I then walk into the school and go to my locker. I then grab out a notebook and then gently shut it. As I close it I see Chris appear out of no where. I jump just a little.  
"Did I scare you?" He asks.  
"No, more like startled me." I say.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." He says with a smile.

"It's fine." I say with a smile.

"Can I walk you to class?" He asks.

"I don't know, can you?" I ask.

"That's what I just asked." He says. I roll my eyes and walk off. He quickly follows behind me. "Good grief, Jess, you walk really fast."

"I have long legs." I say.

"A minute ago, were you trying to correct my grammar?" He asks.

"Yes, the correct way to phrase the question would be may I." I say.

"Oh, I'm wish I was a genious like you are." He says.

"You are smart, Chris." I say.

"Says the girl that makes straight A's and barely studies." He says.

"I do study." I say. "But I also pay attention in class."

"I do too." He says.

"I never said that you didn't." I say. We then walk into our first period class, drama. I still cannot understand why I decided to take the class, but at least it is an easy A.

The teacher, Ms. Darbus, an eccentric woman with light blonde hair and glasses, walks to the front of the classroom. "Good morning students, today I decided to let you all have a study hall, since tomorrow is the auditions for the musical. I hope that each and everyone of you will consider auditioning for a part." She then walks off to her desk and everyone goes back to talking to each other. "So, why do you think that she is so persistent on having people audition?" Chris asks.  
"I don't know, maybe there are a lot of parts this year." I say.  
"Well, I know that I for one will not be auditioning for the musical." He says.  
"Why not?" I ask.  
"Seriously, think about it." He says.

"I don't want to spend all my free afternoons having to sing show tunes. Besides, basketball season is about to start up."

"True, but I think that she gives out extra credit." I say.

"But this class is pretty easy." He says.  
"True, but extra credit always helps." I say.  
"I can't even sing." He says.  
"Well, I wouldn't know because you won't sing in public." I say.  
"True, but neither will you." He says.  
"I am shy, I have an excuse. What's yours?" I say.  
"I don't want to." He says.  
"I guess that is a valid point." I say. "Well, I don't know about you, but I am going to put this study hall to use. I have a chemistry test today."

"Ok, well I'll leave you alone so that you can study." He says.

"Ok." I say. I then pull out my AP chemistry book out of my book bag and start re-reading the chapter.  
Before I know it, class is over. I then clean up my stuff and head onto the rest of my classes that I have today. The rest of the day drags by ever so slowly, and finally after the painfully slow day is I go out to the parking lot and get in my car to go home. I then glance at my phone and see that I have a text from my dad. It says 'Could you pick your brothers up for me?' I then send back 'Sure'. I then head over to the middle school, which is about a five minute drive. When I get there, I see Zane standing in the parking lot. "Hey, buddy, I hope you weren't waiting too long." I say.

"I thought that dad was picking me up." He says as he gets in the car.

"Me too." I say. "But he must have had a change of plans."

"Zach, said that he has going to find Caleb." He says. "He was probably flirting with some girls."

"You're probably right." I say.

"Oh, there they are now." Zane says.

"Jess, I thought-" Caleb starts saying.  
"That dad was going to pick you up?" I say.  
"Yeah, how did you know that I was going to say that?" He asks.  
"Woman's intution, no just kidding." I say. " Zane actually told me." Then both Caleb and Zach get into the car. I then leave the school and head on home. Once we are at the house, I go into my room and begin working on homework. It takes a while to get through some of the Calculus, but eventually I finish up. I then start on the rest of my homework. I then hear a knock on the door. "Come in." I say. Then Zach walks into my room.  
"Are you busy?" He asks.  
"Not really." I say. "What do you need?"

"I needed a little bit of advice, but it can wait." He says.

"No, it's fine, I needed a break anyways." I say.

"Ok, so there's this girl at school, named Hannah, she is beautiful and so smart, and I really like her." He says. "But I can't tell if she likes me back."  
"Well, how does she act around you?" I ask.  
"She always is smiling and laughing." He says. "She seems to enjoy being around me."

"It sounds like she might like you." I say. "I think that you should ask her out."

"I don't know, what if she says no." He says.

"Fine, then how about you hang out with her outside of school, to get to know her a little bit better, and let fate bring you together." I say.

"I like that idea better." He says. "Besides, I can't drive yet anyhow."  
"Oh, yeah, I keep forgetting that." I say.

"Yeah, and you're supposed to be the smart one." He says.

"Hey." I say.

"I was joking." He says.

"Sure you were." I say. "Do you have her number?"

"No." He says.

"Why not?" I ask.

"I haven't asked her." He says.

"Well, you should, that also helps break the ice." I say.

"Ok, thank you for the advice." He says.

"It's no problem, I just want everything to turn out well for you." I say with a smile.

"You really are a good sister." He says.

"Thanks, you're a good brother too." I say.

"Thanks." He says. "So how's your love life going?"

"Same as always." I say.

"I'm surprised that you and Chris aren't together yet." He says.

"We are just friends." I say. "But the way that you two act around each other is more than friendly." He says.

"Well, you are more observant than I give you credit for." I say.

"Thanks." He says. He then gets up from my bed, and starts to walk off. "But, just so you know, I think that you and Chris should date."

"We'll see, but I don't think that, that will happen." I say. He then leaves the room. The thought of Chris and I dating, that seems bizarre, we have been friends for as long as I can remember. We've been through everything together, but I don't really think that it would be wise for us to date, it would probably mess up our friendship anyhow, and I for one, wouldn't want that. It just isn't worth it for the two of us to be together. He deserves someone much better than me. I don't even deserve someone like him. He is too good for me.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

Basketball, basketball, basketball. That's all that everyone in my house, besides my mom, has been talking about for the past few days. My dad keeps asking me if I am going to tryout. I know that in the end I will.  
Every single season, I say that I will not play the next and I end up doing it anyhow. I guess I am destined to play, since my dad was in the NBA and also that he coaches for my school. It just makes it worse for me anyhow.  
I walk down the stairs to the kitchen where my whole family is at eating breakfast. "So, Jess, have you decided what you are going to do?" My dad asks.  
"I don't know, I guess that I probably will end up playing." I say.

"Well, even if you change your mind, it would do you good to at least come to tryouts." He says. "I am not going to just give you a spot on the team."

"Wait, you're coaching the girl's team this year?" I ask.

"Yeah, I was asked if I wanted to, and I thought with it being your last season, that I should go ahead and do it." He says.

"Ok, well that's no pressure." I say sarcastically.

"But, really Jess if you don't want to play, don't just play because I am the coach." He says.

"I know, I just need to think about it." I say.

"What is there to think about?" Caleb asks. "I didn't even have to think about it, it was a done deal for me."

"It's just, it's my last year of high school." I say. "I've been playing for almost fifteen years, even when it was just for fun."

"It can be easy to get burned out from playing." My mom adds.

"But, it's just so fun." Caleb says.

"Well, I know that I'm not playing in the pro's anyhow." I say. "But I'll at least come to tryouts today."

"That's my girl." My dad says. For the next little bit we all engage in small talk. Zane tells us all about how he has a huge history test today, and Caleb just has to one up him, which is completely unnecessary, but my brother's all have act like life has to be a competition. I think that it is kind of funny. I just sit back and listen to them, even though it's kind of obnoxious, they are family and I love them very much.

"Well, as much as I would just love to sit here all day, we all have things that we need to do." My mom says.

"What time is it?" Zach asks.

"Eight o'clock." She says.

"I guess that we need to be leaving." Caleb says.

"No, we have all day." Zach says sarcastically. "Yes, of course we need to get going."

"Come on guys." Dad says. "I'll take you to school." Then dad and my brother's leave the house.

"So what time do you have to go to work?" I ask.

"I don't have to be there until nine." She says. "But don't you need to be leaving?"

"Not yet, school doesn't start until eight thirty for me." I say. "I have a few minutes."

"Ok, just don't be late." She says.

"I won't, don't worry." I say.

"So have you decided where you are applying for college?" She asks.

"I was thinking Stanford, and a few others, but I really was hoping Stanford." I say.

"Well, I am honored that you are considering going to my Alma mater." She says.

"Yeah, I have the application almost filled out, I just have a little bit more to finish." I say.

"Well, I hope that you can get in." She says.

"Me too." I say with a smile. "It would be an awesome opportunity."

"It really would be." She says. "And if you need any help, let me know."

"I will." I say with a smile. "Well, I need to get to school, I'll see you later."

"Alright, I hope that you have a good day." She says. "You too." I say. I then walk out of the house and get in my car to head to school. The school day goes by surprisingly pretty fast, and before I know it, it is time for basketball tryouts. I am so dreading going to them. People at these tryouts have been pretty competitive and just plain out mean for many seasons, but with my dad being the coach this season, I have a feeling that it will be worse. I know that every girl will want to play, since for some reason every girl at school goes on and on about how cute my dad is. He's forty for crying out loud, he isn't actually young, but he isn't really all that old either. I make my way to the locker room to change into some clothes that I can play basketball in. The locker room is full of girls, some of which I honestly don't think can play basketball. Or at least I have never seen them play. A girl with fake blonde hair walks over to me and says "So, is it true that Troy Bolton is the new basketball coach this year?"

"Yes, Veronica." I say with a smile.

"It's really cool having a retired pro basketball player as our coach this year." She says.

"It really is." I say. She is so annoying, and fake. She will act like she likes you, just for a moment to get what she wants. I know for sure that she has never played basketball before. I know three years ago, I asked her about playing, and she said that she never wanted to touch a basketball. She also proceeded to say that she didn't want to have to sweat. So I am really surprised that she decided to play this season. A few minutes pass by, and then I walk into the gym where I see my dad, and Chad, his best friend since forever, standing near the bleachers. I then decide to walk over to them. "What are you doing here Chad?" I ask.

"I decided to help your dad out, besides I always look for any opportunity to play basketball." He says.

"True." I say with a smile. I then look at my dad and say "So are there a lot of girl's trying out?"

"Yeah." He says. "On my list there are twenty, but I have a feeling that there will be more than that."

"Yeah, so what are you going to do, most of these girls as far as I know have never played before." I say.

"I don't know, I was thinking about giving them a chance at least, but really I will probably only be taking the girls that are really good." He says.

"And besides, you only need fifteen for a team anyhow, so I would say cut the ones that are pathetic and keep the ones that are either good, or you see potential in them." Chad says.

"That's easier to do, when you aren't the one dealing with a bunch of girls getting mad at you." Dad says.

"You could let Jess break the news." Chad says.

"How about no." I say.

"Why not, they would probably be less mad at you." Chad says.

"I sincerely doubt that." I say.

"Yeah, most of those girls won't listen to anyone anyways." Dad says. "I know, because I teach a few of them."

"Well, maybe they all won't be horrible." Chad says. "Let's hope not." Dad says.

"What's taking those girl's so long?"

"They were touching up their makeup when I was in the locker room." I say.

"Oh, great, their makeup will end up getting messed up anyhow." Chad says.

"Exactly." Dad says. A few minutes later, we start practice. "Alright, I need a show of hands, how many of you have played basketball before." My dad says. Only about ten out of nearly forty girls raise their hand. "Alright, those of you will come with me, except for Jessica." He then motions for me to come over to him. "I need you to do me a favor." "What is it?" I ask.  
"I need both you and Chad to work with the other girls, because there are a bunch of them, and I know that Chad won't be able to handle it by himself." He says.  
"Don't you have an assistant?" I ask.

"Not yet, they are working on finding me one, I told Principal Reynolds not to even worry about it, because I knew that if I needed to, I could just let you run the practices or whatever." He says.

"Ok, well I guess that you have the easy job." I say.  
"Not really." He says.  
"Ok, whatever." I say. I then run over to the other end of the court with Chad and the other girls that are trying out. "So, your dad told you, that I needed some help didn't he." Chad says.  
"Yes, but if you really don't need me, it's fine. " I say.  
"No, I actually told him that I wanted you to help me." He says.  
"Oh, ok." I say. The rest of the practice goes by, and a few of the girls were actually pretty good, especially considering they had very little experience playing. There were of course, some players that were not the best. I guess that they have to start from somewhere. "Alright, we will try to have the list posted tomorrow for those who made the team." Chad says. The girls then walk off. "So what did you think?"

"Well, there were about ten of them, that really were pretty good." I say. "They definitely wouldn't be starters, but they are also freshmen so they have room for improvement."

"Yeah, I think that our job is done." He says. "I'll just need to talk with your dad about it."

"Alright, well I am going to go home, I have some homework that I need to be working on." I say.

"I wish that you would rub off on Chris." He says.

"He really isn't that bad of a student." I say.

"But it's a pain to get him to do his homework." He says.

"Well, not everyone enjoys school." I say.  
"You have got that one right." Chad says.  
"Well, I'll see you later." I say.  
"See yah." He says. I then grab my gym bag and go out to my car. The ride home is short, and there really isn't any traffic, I make it home in ten minutes. I then walk in the door and go upstairs and take a shower. A while later, after I have finished my homework. I go downstairs and see my brother's playing video games, I then walk over to the kitchen and see my mom making dinner. "Do you need any help?" I ask.  
"I'm fine, but you are more than welcome to stay in here and keep me company." She says.  
"Sounds good to me." I say.  
"So how did tryouts go?" She asks.  
"They went fine." I say as I get a bottle of water out of the refrigerator.

"That's good, so do you think that the team will be any good?" She asks.

"Well, Lindsey, Brooke, Maddie, and Peyton all decided that they weren't playing this year." I say.

"Why?" She asks.

"They were really good." "They told me that they were burned out." I say.

"That's too bad, so out of the ones that tried out, were any of them good?" She asks.

"We had a bunch of new players, and about a third of them were really good, but other than that, not really." I say.

"That's really too bad." She says. "I was hoping that you would have a really good team this year, especially with it being your senior year and all."

"Well, maybe despite talent, we will still do well." I say.

"Well, at least you are being optimistic, that's a good thing." She says.

"I try to be." I say with a smile.

"I wonder what your dad will end up saying." She says.

"I don't know." I say. "He worked with the good players, and let Chad and me work with the ones that have little to no experience."

"Oh, well, then I guess that his part went well then." She says.

"Yeah, most likely." I say. "Well, how about tonight, you finish up your application to Stanford." She says.  
"I am almost finished with it." I say. "I just wish that I had a few more extra curricular classes that I could add to it, to make it better." I say.  
"Sweet heart, you already so much as it is." She says.  
"I know, but the more you have on there the better that it looks." I say.  
"Well, you can fill out what you have, and just see what they have to say." She says. "Alright, I will." I say. "Good, and if I haven't ever told you this, I am so proud of the young lady that you have become." She says.  
"Thanks, mom." I say as I give her a hug.  
"It's no problem." She says. It makes me feel good knowing that my mom is proud of me, I mean she has done so much, and she is so brilliant, I feel so dumb when I am around her, but yet she is proud of me. That seems crazy to me! A little while later, I walk outside to get some fresh air, and I see Chris pull into my driveway. He then parks and gets out and comes over to where I am standing. "What are you doing here?" I ask.  
"I just wanted to stop by, and see you." He says.  
"Well, how about we come inside, it's a little bit chilly." I say. We then walk inside the house. We then go down to the basement that we turned into a game room.

"So, I didn't see you that much today." He says.

"Sorry, I had basketball tryouts." I say.  
"I know, I just missed hanging out with you today." He says.  
"I did too." I say. "We'll have to do something tomorrow after school then."

"Yeah, how about we go and get coffee." He says.

"I think that that would be a great idea." I say.

"Yeah, so you made the team didn't you?" He asks.

"Probably, I honestly don't know." I say.

"My dad said that you had to show a bunch of people how to play." He says.

"Yeah, more than half of the girls at try outs today, didn't know how to play, or weren't all that great at basketball." I say.

"Sounds like fun." He says. "Fortunately we don't have try outs until next week."

"That's good, I have a feeling that some of the girls will have to go to try outs tomorrow, so they can decide how to cut from the bad ones." I say.

"I feel bad for your dad." He says.

"Me too." I say. We then talk for a while, and before we know it, it is ten o'clock.

"Well, I probably should get going." He says.

"I wish that you didn't have to leave." I say.

"Me too, but we have school tomorrow." He says.

"I know, well I'll see you later." I say.

"Bye, Jess." He says. He then gives me a hug and leaves. I really enjoy spending with him, he makes me really happy when I am around him. I feel like everything in the world is so much better when I am with him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:**

The next of school goes by fast. I find out that I made the team, and I then go to the parking lot to meet Chris. "Are you ready to go?" He asks.  
"Yeah." I say.  
"I'll drive, so that we can spend more time together." He says.  
"Are you sure?" I ask.  
"Yes, come on." He says. I then walk over to his car, and he opens the door for me.  
"Thank you." I say.  
"You're welcome." He says as he closes the door, and gets in himself. We then drive to a coffee shop that is just a little ways down the road.  
We then go inside, and get in line to order. "I'll have a caramel latte." He says. He then looks at me and says "What do you want?"  
"I can get mine." I say.  
"No, i'm getting it." He says.  
"You don't have to." I say.  
"I know, I want to." He says.  
"Alright, I'll have a caramel latte." I say. He pays and we then wait at the counter for our drinks. "So, I heard that you made the team." He says.  
"Yeah, but I was kind of hoping that I wouldn't." I say.  
"Why?" He asks.  
"I wasn't going to go to college for basketball, and I just wanted a year to relax." I say.  
"I understand that one." He says as he gets our drinks off of the counter. We then find a table and sit down. "I think that my dad is expecting me to follow in his footsteps." "Well, you are really good." I say.  
"Yeah, but I was thinking about doing something else." He says."I don't care anything about all of that fame. I think that it is kind of annoying."

"I know, before my dad retired, I couldn't go anywhere without someone taking my picture." I say. "Fortunately, it has died down within the last few months.

"I know what you mean, it's crazy how people act." He says.  
"So what are you thinking about doing?" I ask.  
"I'm not quite sure, I just want to make a difference in people's lives." He says.  
"That's awesome." I say.  
"So what about you?" He asks.  
"I haven't told anybody else, but I have always wanted to be a doctor." I say.  
"Wow, that soungs like a great idea." He says. "I know that you will be very good at it."

"Thanks." I say. "I'm just afraid that my dad isn't going to get mad that I'm not playing basketball." "He'll get over it." He says.  
"Are you sure?" I ask.  
"Yeah, he's your dad first and foremost and I know that if he really loves you, he'll accept you for what you are." He says.

"That's true." I say.  
"Yeah, so don't worry about it." He says. "What does your mom think?"  
"I've briefly talked with her about it." I say. "Mostly we have just talked about going to Stanford."

"Oh, I didn't know that you were thinking about going there." He says.  
"Yeah, I hadn't told anyone else." I say.  
"Well, I know that you are definetly smart enough to get in, and I know that it would be a good opportunity for you." He says.  
"Thanks." I say. "So where are you thinking of going?"

"I'm not sure, I thought about U of A." He says.  
"That's a good school." I say. "And your dad went there."

"Yeah, he's been trying to talk me into going for years." He says.  
"But don't do something, just because that's what your dad wants." I say. "You should be able to make your own decisions."  
"I know, it's just hard to, being the only son in the house, I feel that my dad has this high expectation for me." He says.  
"Yeah, maybe your parents could have another kid." I say.  
"Yeah, I highly doubt that will happen." He says.  
"You never know." I say.  
"But that wouldn't help anyhow." He says. "Why?" I ask.  
"I just wouldn't." He says.  
"Ok." I say with a smile. We continue talking for a while. After a while, we leave the coffee shop and go back to the school so that I can get my car. "Well, I'll see you later." He says.  
"Alright, see yah." I say. I then get into my car, and drive away. After a little bit I am back at my I walk in, no one is at home. I then go upstairs to my room to work on some homework. Once I am finished I go downstairs, and find that no one is still home, and it's a little after seven. I then walk into the kitchen and see a note on the counter. That says :  
_Jess, I forgot to tell you that Zane has a soccer game tonight. We should be home around eight. Love you, mom._ Well that explains where they are, I thought. I then go into the living room and put in a movie to watch. At some point during the movie, I fall asleep. After what seems like a short amount of time, I feel a tap on the shoulder. I moan.  
"Jess, honey, how about you get up and go sleep in your bed." I hear my mom say.  
"What time is it?" I ask.  
"It's a little after nine." She says.  
"Ok, I'll just go to my room." I say. I then get up off the couch and go to my room. I then get all comfy in my bed and go to sleep. I didn't realize how tired I was until I fell right off to sleep. Before I know it, it is six o'clock in the morning and it is time for me to get up. I then get up out of my bed and start getting ready. Once I am ready I go downstairs into the kitchen. I hear a familiar voice in the other room. So I walk in there and see Chris standing there.  
"Chris, what are you doing here?" I ask. He then gives me a hug and says

"I thought that I would stop by and see my best friend." He says. "Is there a problem with that?"

"No, I just wasn't expecting you to come over." I say. "Do you want anything for breakfast?"

"I've already had something, but thank you." He says.  
"Do you want some coffee?" I ask.  
"Sure, I'll come with you." He says. We then walk into the kitchen, and both of us get some coffee. "So, did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, but why are you asking?" I ask.  
"I don't know, I was just trying to make conversation." He says.  
"Oh, ok." I say. We both then drink some coffee and we engage in some small talk. Before either of us realize it, we have to go to school. "We probably should get going to school."

"Yeah, I guess that we should." He says. "How about I drive you."

"Ok, I would like that." I say. We then get into his car and go on to the school. A few hours pass by, and school eventually ends. I meet Chris in the parking lot.

"So what do you want to do?" He asks.  
"It doesn't matter." I say. "If you have something that you need to do, don't feel obligated to hang out with me."

"I want to." He says. "I know that this is probably going to sound lame, but do you want to go to come over to my house, and help me watch Emma."

"I would love too." I say. "You're sister is so sweet."

"Are you sure, you don't have to if you don't want to." He says. "I can take you home."

"No, it would be fun." I say.  
"Ok, well then, let's go." He says. We then get into his car and go to his house, which isn't too far from the school. When we get to the house, Chris' mom, Taylor is there with Emma. "Hey you two." Taylor says.  
"Hey Taylor." I say with a smile. She then gives me a hug.  
"I'm glad that you two got here when you did." She says. "I have to go to work for a little while, and I needed someone to watch Emma."

"Well, that's why I got Jess to help me." Chris says.  
"Good, and thank you." She says. "I'll ya'll later."

"Alright." I say. She then leaves. Emma then walks over to me and leaps in my arms. "Hey sweet girl."

"Hey, I didn't know that you were coming." She exclaims with glee.

"I didn't know that I was either." I say. "So what do you want to do?"  
"Would you color with me?" She asks. "Chris never will."  
"I do sometimes." Chris says.  
"Of course I will sweet girl." I say with a smile. "Chris, are you going to join us?"  
"I guess, but I'm not coloring anything with princesses on it." He says.  
"I'll be right back." Emma says. She then walks off to her room to get something. "My sister, is so embarrassing." He says.  
"No, she is sweet." I say. "She's just so young."

"True." He says. Emma then walks back into the room with a handful of coloring books and some crayons in her hands. "I didn't bring you a princess coloring book." She says.  
"Thank you." Chris says. She then hands us each a coloring book and we sit at the table and start coloring. "I don't get how this is fun to you."

"Well, it is. Jess, told me that she likes to color." Emma says.  
"I'm just doing this because I love you, Emma." He says.  
"I love you too." She says. We then continue coloring for a little while. I then look at my phone and see a text from my dad saying that he would come get me from Chris' house. "Chris, my dad said that he'll be here in a minute to come get me." I say.  
"I was hoping that you could stay longer, I could have taken you home." He says.  
"It's ok, he's already on his way." I say.  
"Oh, ok." He says.  
"I'm sorry, I didn't know that he was going to do that." I say.  
"It's ok." He says. "Can I talk to you in private for a second?"

"Yeah, but we're watching your sister." I say. "She'll be fine for a minute." He says. We then walk off into another room. "So I was wondering, would you like to go on a date with me tomorrow night?"

"Sure, I would love too." I say with a smile. "Really." He says. "I was afraid that you would say no."

"Why would I say no, I have liked you for a while now, and I was hoping that at some point you would ask me out." I say.  
"That's funny." He says. "I've liked you for a while too, but I was scared to ask you, up until recently did I have the courage to ask you."

"Well, maybe it was just meant to be." I say.  
"You never know." He says.  
"So what time are you picking me up?" I ask.  
"I was thinking about six." He says.  
"Alright, that sounds like a date." I say. "We probably should go check on Emma."  
"I guess that you are right." He says. We then walk back to where Emma is at. I then see my dad standing there.

"Perfect timing." Dad says.  
"Yeah, where were you two?" Emma asks.  
"We needed to talk, in private." Chris says.  
"Oh, really." Emma says.  
"Yes, but now you will have your brother all to yourself." I say.  
"Yay!" Emma exclaims.  
"Bye, Chris." I say.  
"Bye, Jess." He says. "See you tomorrow, at six." "See you tomorrow." I say. Dad and I then leave Chris' house.  
"So, what's going on between you two?" Dad asks.  
"Nothing." I say with a smile.  
"Uh huh." He says.  
"You're not buying it are you?" I ask.  
"Yeah, of course I am." He says. "It's not like I can tell when two people like eachother. The only way that I would know that would be if I had fallen in love with someone myself, which I did. So yeah, tell me what's going on." "Fine, he asked me out, and I said yes." I say with a smile.  
"Well, at least if you are going to go out with someone he's a good guy." He says.  
"So you're fine with this, right?" I ask.  
"I guess, I just wasn't expecting you to grow up this quickly." He says.  
"Dad, you and I both know that no matter how old I get, I will always be your little girl." I say.  
"I know, and I love hearing you say that." He says. We then pull into our driveway and park in the garage. I walk inside and feel like I am floating on a cloud. I am so excited about finally going out on a date with Chris. It is so great knowing that all this time of liking him, finally paid off! It makes me feel great. I am so happy! I then go up to my room and change into my pajamas.  
Once I am done, I sit down on my bed. A second or two passes by and I hear a knock on the door. "Come in." I say.  
"Hey." Zach says. "So, what's making you so happy."

"Nothing, I'm always happy." I say.  
"Yeah, well I can tell when something good happens in your life, so why don't you just tell me before I figure it out for myself." He says.  
"Fine, because I know that you will keep on being persistent and driving me super crazy, so Chris asked me out." I say.  
"It's about time that he did." He says.  
"Did you know that he was?" I ask.  
"Yeah, he told me he was thinking about it, but was scared to do, and I told him to go for it." He says.  
"You are a good brother." I say. "So how are things going with you and Hannah?"

"About the same as they were before." He says.  
"Oh, that stinks." I say. "Why don't you just go for it, and ask her out."

"Hey, my advice only works in situations like you and Chris." He says.  
"Well, why didn't you follow my advice?" I ask.  
"I don't know." He says. "I guess that I was scared to, that's all."

"It's ok, take it slow." I say. "Follow your heart. It usually works out well, trust me."

"And you have had so much experience." He says.  
"Ok, fine don't listen to me." I say. "Do what you want, I really don't care."

"I was kidding." He says.  
"Sure." I say with a smile. "I might just see if tomorrow she would like to come over and watch a movie." He says.  
"That would be an excellent idea, but make sure mom and dad are cool with it before you ask her." I say. "It could make things turn out pretty bad for you."

"I will, don't worry." He says.  
"Alright." I say.

"Well, I'm getting tired, so I'm going to go to bed." He says.

"Ok, well, I'll see you in the morning." I say. "Goodnight."  
"Nite." He says. He then leaves my room. I still feel like I am floating on a cloud, I feel awesome! I can't wait for tomorrow!


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys! Thank you so much for reading my story. I would love to hear what you think about it. I had not planned on this chapter being ready so early, but here it is! I hope you all enjoy please r&amp;r :)

* * *

Chapter Five:

I could barely sleep, I guess that I am full of excitement! I am going on my first date in just a few short hours. Finally, after tossing and turning for what seems like hours on end, I decided to get up. I glanced at the clock and it was only six o'clock. In about twelve hours, I will be going out with Chris! I then decide that I will go for a run, so I change into some running clothes and go down the stairs. I look around and see that no one is up, so I leave a note letting everyone know that I am going running and will be back after a little while.  
I then walk out of the house, and tunr on my watch so that I can track my pace. I then take off, not too slow, or too fast. My breathing is under control and I am running at a steady pace. I can feel the cool autumn air running through my hair, and it feels pretty good. After a while of running, I make it to back to my house. I then hit my watch to stop it. My time is six thirty six, for three miles making my overall time just a little shy of twenty minutes, which is pretty good. I probably could have ran harder though, but I'll take it. I then walk inside the house, and no one is still up. I then make myself a cup of coffee, and sit down at the bar and drink my cup of coffee. Once I am done with my coffee, I go up the stairs to my bathroom and take a shower, so that I can get ready for the day. After I take my shower, I throw on some clothes and by now, it is almost seven thirty. I have a feeling that no one is up yet. I then go down stairs and see Zach standing in the living room.

"What are you doing up?" I ask.  
"I couldn't sleep, besides I have basketball practice at nine anyhow." He says. "What about you?"

"I couldn't sleep, so I went for a run a little over an hour ago." I say.

"Oh, I would have went running with you." He says.

"I didn't want to wake you up." I say.

"It would have been alright." He says.

"I'll remember that next time." I say.

"Good." He says. We then just continue carrying on small talk for a little while. Eventually mom wakes up and comes into the family room, where Zach and I are at.

"Hey, I didn't think that anyone was up yet." She says.

"I've been up for a while." I say.

"Usually you both are the last to get up." She says.

"That was only when I was in middle school." I say.

"Oh, true." She says.

"I knew that I had to get up for practice anyhow." Zach says.

"Doesn't Austin and Caleb need to get up too." She says.

"Yeah, but practice isn't until nine." He says.

"Well, it's already eight o'clock, so maybe you should wake them up." She says.

"Ok, I need to get ready anyhow." He says. He then walks off.

"So are you excited about your date?" She asks.

"Yes." I say. "I had a hard time sleeping last night."

"I know, the first date I had with your father, I was so excited that I actually ended up getting sick." She says.

"Are you sure you weren't nervous?" I ask.

"I was excited and at the same time nervous." She says.

"I am too." I say.

"Well, there's no reason to be." She says. "You have known each other since you were in diapers. You have been inseparable since the day you were born."

"I know, but there's something about going on a date that changes things." I say.

"Yeah, but at least you are going on a date with a good guy." She says.

"I know, and it just makes it better." I say.

"I know that you both will have a good time." She says. "Let's just hope that it isn't awkward."

"I don't think that it will." I say.

"I don't think so either, but you never know." She says with a smile.

"Thanks mom." I say.

"So what are you going to wear tonight?" She asks.

"I don't know." I say.

"How about you and I have a girls day, we can go shopping and get our nails done." She says.  
"I like that idea." I say.  
"Great, now go get ready because I was thinking that we leave in a little bit." She says. I then go to my room and start getting ready. I put on a purple long flowy top paired with black skinny jeans and a pair of Toms. I then apply a thin layer of makeup. I then take my curly hair out of a ponytail, and let it go natural today. I then grab my purse and put on some lip gloss for the finishing touch.  
Once I am ready, I go downstairs. I know that my mom isn't ready yet, so I wait for her in the family room. "Are you ready?" She asks a few minutes later.  
"Yes." I say. "Alright, let's go." She says. "What about the boys?" I ask.  
"Oh, your dad is going to take them to practice." She says.  
"Ok." I say. We then get into her car and head out for a day of shopping. "So where is Chris taking you?" She asks.  
"I'm not sure." I say.  
"Well, then to play it safe I would do dressy casual." She says.  
"That's what I was thinking." I say.  
"Great minds think alike." She says. We both then laugh. We then walk into a store that we both like to go in. "What do you think of this?" She says as she holds up a lavender floral printed dress.  
"It's ok, but I don't know." I say.  
"Ok, how about we hold onto it then." She says. "There's only one in your size and it is really cute." "Ok." I say. We continue looking around the store a little bit more. Eventually we find several outfits to try on. "Alright, how about you try on this one first." My mom says as she hands me a black dress that is simple and form fitting. "Ok." I say. I then slip on the dress and take a look at myself in the mirror. It looks pretty good, I think. "What do you think?"  
"That looks really good." She says.  
"I really like this one." I say.  
"Me too." She says. "But I have a feeling that your dad won't." "Why?" I ask.  
"He doesn't want you to grow up." She says.  
"Oh." I say. "Well, I'll put it aside." "Ok." She says. I then try on more outfits, and finally I try on the lavender dress that my mom had picked out. It is similar to a dress that she had in high school, which is probably why she liked it so much. I've seen pictures of her wearing it, and she looked beautiful in it. I then look at myself in the mirror, and then walk out.  
"So, what do you think?" I ask.  
"I think that's it." She says.  
"Really?" I ask.  
"Yes, and I know that Chris will love it." She says.  
"Ok, I like it too." I say. "Ok, good." She says. We continue shopping for a while and find some heels to go with the dress and a few other accessories as well. Mom even finds some things for herself. We then go and get our nails done. We both get a french manicure and pedicure. "Thank you, for a wonderful day." I say with a smile.  
"You're more than welcome." She says. "Alright, so it's already two o'clock and he's coming to get you at six right?"  
"Yeah." I say. "Well, how about we have some coffee and then I'll help you get ready." She says.  
"Alright, that sounds like a plan." I say.

Mom then puts on a pot of coffee and we sit down and wait for it to finish brewing. "So, how did your dad act when he found out that you were going on a date?" She asks.

"He seemed ok with it." I say. "I think that if it had been anyone other than Chris he would have freaked out."  
"Yeah, I guess that with you being his little girl, he's going to be very protective of you." She says.  
"True." I say. The coffee then is done and we both get some and continue talking. After a little bit, we go into my room and my mom helps me get ready. She insists on putting on my makeup.  
Once she is done with that, she then fixes my hair. She leaves it natural but gently pulls back a few strands of my hair with bobby pins. I then put my dress and shoes on, and I then look at myself in the mirror and smile.  
"So what do you think?" She asks.  
"I like it." I say with a smile.

"You look beautiful." My dad says as he walks into my room.

"Thank you, dad." I say.  
"Chris is one lucky guy." He says. "But so am I. I have a beautiful daughter, and a beautiful wife." He then kisses my mom. It is sort of sweet that they still love each other after nearly twenty years of marriage. I think that it is romantic, I just hope that my marriage will be the same way.  
"Alright, well Chris will be here in about twenty minutes." Mom says. "So how about you go on downstairs and let your brother's see you." "Ok." I say. I then walk downstairs and Zach is the first one to see me. "Wow." Is all that can come out of his mouth.  
"Is that good or bad?" I ask.  
"It's good." He says. The other two then notice me. "Jess, you look hot." Caleb says. "Thank you." I say.  
"You look pretty, just like you always do." Zane says.  
"Awe, Zane." I say. "You are way too sweet." It is always great having brothers around, they'll tell you how you look, even if you look like a hot mess. It is sometimes good to have them tell me how I look.  
"So when is Chris coming?" Caleb asks.  
"Six." I say. I then sit down on the couch to wait for Chris to get here. I look at my phone and see that it is five fifty five. Ok, I think to myself, five more minutes and then I will be able to go on a date with Chris! "So where is he taking you?" Zach asks.  
"I'm not sure." I say.  
"Well, I hope that you both have a good time." He says.  
"I hope so too." I say.

"He better treat you right." Zach says.

"Zach, we've been friends for a very long time, I don't think that there is anything to worry about." I say.  
"These days you never know. " He says.  
"I think that everything will be alright." I say. I then get up to make sure my makeup looks alright and reapply lipstick. Once I am done, I go back into the family room. I then check my phone and see that it is a few minutes after six. "He's late." Zane says.  
"I know, but maybe he got caught in traffic." I say.  
"Maybe." Zach says.  
"I'll give him a few more minutes and then I will call him." I say.  
"I would call him now." Zane says.  
"I'm going to wait." I say. "But thank you for the advice." I continue talking with my brothers for a little while. I then glance at my phone again and it is six fifteen. I then get up and start pacing the room and I keep looking out the window hoping that he will pull into our driveway soon.

"You know pacing isn't going to make him come any quicker." Caleb says.  
"I know, but I'm just worried, that's all." I say.  
"He'll be here soon." Zach says. I then sit down for a second and take a deep breath. Maybe he just got into a lot of traffic, I keep telling myself over and over again. I then look out the window, and I see his car pull up in the driveway. Finally, I think. He kept me waiting for nearly a half an hour. "Hey Chris." I say as I open the door for him to come inside.  
"Sorry, I was late." He says. "I had a hard time deciding what to wear."

"Well, you look great." I say.  
"You look gorgeous." He says.  
"Thanks, Chris." I say.  
"So are you ready to go?" He asks.  
"Yeah." I say. I then tell my parents goodbye and we leave. "So where are we going?"

"You'll see." He says. "I think that you will like it."  
"I hope so." I say.  
"You will." He says. We then pull into a park. He then gets out and opens up the door for me. "Thank you." I say.  
"No problem." He says.  
"So what are we doing here?" I ask.  
"Follow me." He says. We then walk through the park a little bit until we reach a spot that has a blanket spread out and a basket. "So what do you think?"  
"Did you do this all by yourself?" I ask.  
"Yes." He says. He then pulls out a small bouquet of flowers, and he hands them to me.  
"These are beautiful." I say.  
"I'm glad that you like them." He says.  
"I can't believe that you put all of this together." I say.  
"Why not?" He asks.  
"I don't know, most guys don't know how to put something together that is romantic." I say.  
"I try." He says. "I've been best friends with a girl my whole life, I think that she gave me a few ideas on romance."

"I taught you well." I say.  
"I'm glad that you feel that way." He says. We then enjoy the picnic that he put together for us. He did do a pretty good job I have to admit. "Are you ready to clean up? I was thinking that maybe we could go get some coffee and then just walk around for a little while.  
"That sounds like a great idea." I say with a smile. We then clean up and take the basket back to his truck. We then drive to a coffee shop and go inside and order some drinks. After we are done we walk around in the heart of the town.  
"You are so pretty." He says.  
"Thanks Chris." I say. "I don't think that you have ever told me that before." "I haven't?" He asks. "Well, I should have."

"It's alright, when people have grown up together people tend to miss things." I say.  
"I guess that you are right." He says. "What have you missed about me?"  
"I don't know?" I say.  
"Come on you have to think of something." He says.  
"Well at the moment you are being a little bit annoying." I say.  
"That's not what I meant." He says with a smile.  
"I know." I say. "Well, you do have a great smile."

"See, that's more of what I was looking for." He says. We then continue talking for a while. We actually have a great time just walking around and getting to know more about each other. "Well, I guess that we should be getting home."

"What time is it?" I ask.

"Almost ten." He says.

"It doesn't feel like it has been that long." I say.  
"I know what you mean." He says. "And I also know that your dad wants you home by ten."

"Ok, let's go then." I say. "I don't want him mad at me." We then get into his truck and we go back to my house. After a short drive we make it back to my house. "Thank you for a wonderful night."

'You are more than welcome." He says.  
"Do you want to come in?" I ask.  
"Maybe some other time." He says.  
"Ok." I say.  
"But, I'll walk you to the door." He says. He then opens the car door for me, and we walk to the front door. He then stops right in front of the door and looks into my eyes. "I have a question. Will you be my girlfriend?" "I would love too." I say. He then gives me a hug and leaves. He is so sweet and kind. I then walk inside the house, and I feel like I am floating on a cloud. I then see my mom and dad watching a movie together.  
"So how did the date go?" My dad asks.  
"It went well." I say. I then float up the stairs and go to my room.


	6. Chapter 6

Hey guys so here is the next chapter! I hope that you all enjoy. Thank you to all of you that have read my story! R&amp;R

* * *

**Chapter Six**

The next day after my date, I wake up with a smile on my face. Everything, just seems more wonderful. I really think that I am falling in love with my best friend, and we have only went on one date. I then get out of my bed and come down stairs. When I get down there, I see my brothers playing video games. Zach looks up, when I walk in the room. "You seem happy." He says.  
"I am." I say.  
"I'm guessing that everything went well last night." He says.  
"No, it was wonderful." I say as sit down on the couch.  
"I talked to Hannah last night." He says.  
"You did?" I ask.  
"Yeah, and she's coming over this afternoon." He says.  
"Good job, little brother." I say.  
"Well, I did learn from the best." He says.  
"Alright, enough of this weirdness that is going on between you two." Caleb says. "Zach are you still playing?"  
"No, I'm done." He says.  
"Alright then." Caleb says.  
"You can still play if you want to." I say to Zach.  
"I would rather talk to you." He says.  
"Ok." I say with a smile. "Anyways, Hannah is coming over around three and we are going to watch a movie or something." He says.  
"That should be fun." I say. "I'll give you two your privacy, I can't say for the rest of the house."  
"She really wants to meet you, Jess." He says.  
"Really?" I ask.  
"Yeah." He says. "Well I would love to meet her too." I say. We then continue to talk for a while. I really do enjoy spending time with my brothers. They mean a lot to me. I feel bad that next year, I won't be here for them. Hopefully they will manage without me for a short time. After a little bit, I go to my room and get ready for the day. I then glance at my phone and see that Chris is calling me, so I then answer. "Hello." I say.  
"Hey, Jess." He says. "So, I was wondering if you would want to hang out today."

"I don't know." I say.

"Please, we could do whatever you wanted." He says.  
"How about you come over here." I say.  
"Ok, I can do that." He says. "Alright, so when are you thinking about coming over?" I ask.  
"I was thinking in about an hour." He says.  
"That would be perfect." I say.  
"Alright, well I'll see you soon." He says.  
"Bye." I say. I then change my clothes and finish getting ready. I don't want to still be in my pajamas when he gets here. I then finish getting ready and then go downstairs to wait for Chris to get here. I only have to wait for a few minutes until I see his truck pull up in the driveway. I then get up from off of the couch and go to the door and let him in. "Hey." I say as he walks in.  
"Hey." He says. "So what do you want to do?"  
"I don't know, what do you want to do?" I ask. Then Zach and Caleb walk into the room. "Hey, do you guys want to play basketball with us?" Zach asks.  
"I don't know." Chris says.  
"If you want to, it's fine." I say.  
"Ok." Chris says. "I'll play."  
"What about you, Jess?" Caleb asks.  
"I don't know." I say. "Come on, you're really good." Chris says.  
"Oh, alright, but I need to change." I say.  
"You look fine." He says. "I can't really play in skinny jeans." I say. "I'll be right back."

"Ok, take as long as you need." Chris says. I then walk off.  
"So, do you want to be on a team with Jess?" Zach asks.  
"Sure, but it really doesn't matter." Chris says. I then walk back into the room. "That was fast."

"It doesn't take that long to put on a t shirt, shorts, and a pair of shoes." I say.  
"True." He says. "Alright, so are you ready to play?"  
"Yes." I say. "So am I on your team?"  
"If you want to be." Chris says.  
"Alright then, it's settled." I say we then walk outside to play basketball.  
"Ok, so who gets the ball first?" Zach asks.  
"How about you flip a coin." I say.  
"That's a good idea." Caleb says. "Heads we go, tails you guys." He then pulls a quarter out of his pocket and flips it. It lands on tails.

"Yes, we get to go first." I say as I take the ball out of Caleb's hand. I then walk over to Chris. "So, I'm just warning you, both of them are really good." "I know, but I also know that you are really good, if not better than both of them combined." He says.  
"Chris, I'm not that good." I say.  
"We'll just have to see, now won't we." He says. He then takes the ball out of my hand and we start playing. After some time the score is all tied up at 22 to 22. Hopefully, Chris and I will be able to beat them. They are starting to drive me crazy. "Alright, next one to score wins." Caleb says.  
"Let's make it to the next person that makes it to 30 points." I say. "That's only four more baskets." "I can count." Caleb says. "What do you say, Zach?"  
"That's fine." He says. "That was a good plan." Chris whispers in my ear. "And don't worry, I think that we can beat them." I just smile and we continue our game. I make the next basket for our team, and then Chris gives me a high five. We keep on playing for a bit longer. I have to admit, Caleb and Zach are really playing hard. The score is really close at 26 to 28. If we make another basket we will win, but if they do then the game will be tied. I really sort of want this game to be over, I'm starting to get tired. I have the ball in my hand, and I dribble it down the court. I am almost blocked by Caleb, but I pass the ball to Chris from underneath Caleb's legs. I then take off to the basket and Chris passes me the ball. I then go in for a layup, and the ball gets pushed out of my hand by Zach. I then run down the court and attempt to steal the ball, but am unable to, Chris even tries and can't. Zach then passes the ball to Caleb and Caleb makes a basket, we are all then tied up at 28. The next person who scores will win.  
My dad then walks outside and says "Guys, I hate to break up this game, but Zach there is a young lady in the house that is looking for you. She said that he name is Hannah." "Oh, Hannah." Zach says. "I almost forgot that she was coming over." He then runs inside.

"Well, I guess that we will have to finish this game some other time." Caleb says.  
"Were you guys almost done?" Dad asks.  
"Yeah, we were tied." I say.  
"Oh, that stinks." He says. "If you want to start another game, I'll play with you guys."

"Ok, I'm game." Caleb says. "What about the love birds?"  
"Caleb." I say.  
"It's ok, Jess." Chris says. "So do you want to play another game?"  
"Um, I guess, but just a short one." I say.  
"Ok, then." Dad says. We then start another game. In the end, Chris and I end up winning. "You guys played a good game."  
"Thanks." I say.  
"I'm surprised that we didn't beat them, dad." Caleb says.  
"Well, sometimes you'll win, and sometimes you won't, it's just the way it is." Dad says. "And besides, we can always rematch later and try to beat them." "Someone is competitive." I say. We all then go inside the house, to cool down. I then go grab a bottle of water out of the fridge. "Chris, do you want one?" "Sure." He says. I then grab one, and toss it to him. "So, you'll do things for him, but not me." Caleb says. "Well, do you want a water?" I ask.  
"No, thanks though." He says.  
"You're so weird." I say. I then take a sip of my water. "So do you want to watch a movie?" I ask Chris.  
"I was thinking that maybe we could go do something." He says.  
"Chris, I feel all gross." I say. "I need to take a shower."  
"Ok, I can wait." He says.  
"Alright, just give me a few minutes." I say. I then go upstairs to take a shower. After about a half an hour, I am almost ready to go. I then pull my hair into a loose ponytail and put on some lip gloss. I then go downstairs and see Chris waiting in the family room on the couch talking to my dad. I then sneak up behind him and put my hands over his eyes. "Guess who." I say.  
"Jess." He says. He then gets a hold of my and flips me over the couch. "Be careful." I say as I laugh.

"I knew that you would like that." He says. "And you are right." I say as I snuggle up against him.  
"So are you ready to go?" He asks.  
"I guess." I say.  
"Where are we going?" I ask.  
"I was thinking about us getting some coffee." He says.  
"Ok, let's go then." I say. We both then get up and go to his truck. "I'm sorry that I left you with my dad."

"Oh, it was fine." He says. "We both enjoy talking about basketball."  
"Well, I'm glad then." I say with a smile.

"Now, how about we go and get some coffee." He says.  
"Sounds like a plan." I say. We finally make it to a coffee place and we get out and go inside. He then opens the door for me. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He says. We then walk inside the store and order. We then sit down at a table and wait for our drinks.

"So, the first game of the season is on Tuesday." I say. "Do you think that you are ready?"  
"I think so." He says. "I guess that I will have to be, I mean with my dad coaching and everything."

"Yeah, and the fact that you are captain." I say.  
"Who told you that." He says.  
"Your mom." I say.  
"I didn't want anyone to know that." He says.  
"I think that it is awesome." I say. "Your dad was captain."

"I know, but I wanted to be different." He says.  
"And you can be." I say. "You just have to go out and do it."

"It's easier said than done." He says.  
"Believe me, I know." I say. "Even though my dad knows that I don't want to go pro, I feel like he still is holding on to that dream."

"He may be, but just do what you want for a change instead of what everyone else expects." He says.  
"I guess that you are right." I say.  
"I know that I am right." He says. "Excuse me, I am going to get our drinks." He then walks off for a second. After a brief moment, he comes back with our drinks in his hand. "Here you go."

"Thanks." I say. I then take a sip of my coffee. "Chris, I love how you know how to give the best advice."  
"Thanks, I didn't think that I gave that great advice." He says.  
"You do though." I say.

"I guess that I got it from my mom." He says.  
"I'm sure that you did." I say. "My mom says that if it hadn't have been for your mom, that my parents might not be together."

"Yeah, she knows when something is wrong, sometimes before even the person does." He says.  
"She's so smart." I say.  
"Yeah, she really is." He says. We then continue talking for a while. "So are you ready to go?"  
"I guess." I say. "Especially since we have school in the morning."

"Yeah, I wish that we didn't have school tomorrow." He says.

"Me too." I say. We then leave and go back to my house. "Thank you."

"It's no problem." He says. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow." He then leans in and kisses my cheek.

"Goodbye." I say. I then get out of his car and go into the house.


	7. Chapter 7

**So here is the next chapter. I hope that you all enjoy! And as always please R&amp;R **

* * *

**Chapter Seven:**

I wake up with anticipation, tonight is the first night of my final season of basketball. It is sort of exciting. I am more excited to watch Chris play, but it will still be fun.  
I then get out of bed and get ready for school. I decide to put on my red dress to show school spirit. I then straighten my naturally curly hair and put on a light amount of makeup. I then put on a pair of heels and then finish up. Once I am done, I go downstairs and see my dad sitting in the family room watching the news, boring I think to myself. I then go to find my mom, who is in the kitchen. "Hey, mom." I say.  
"Hey, you look nice this morning." She says.  
"Thanks." I say.  
"So are you ready for tonight?" She asks.  
"I guess so." I say.  
"You will do great out there tonight." She says.  
"I hope so." I say.  
"You will." She says as she gives me a hug. "Thank you." I say as I get some coffee. "Mom, do you want anymore?"  
"No, thank you though." She says.  
"Ok, so you're coming to the game right?" I ask.  
"Yeah, I wouldn't miss it for the world." She says.  
"Good." I say. "Do you want anything to eat?" She asks.  
"No, I'm fine." I say.  
"You need to eat something." She says. "How about some fruit."  
"Ok, that will be fine." I say. She then gets some fruit out of the refrigerator and puts it into a bowl. She then hands it to me. "Thank you." "You are welcome." She says. We then continue talking for a while. "Well, I guess that I need to get going to school." I say.  
"Ok." She says. "Are you coming home before the game?"  
"I should be." I say.  
"Ok, I just wanted you to have time to relax." She says.  
"I will, don't worry." I say.  
"Ok, well, I'll see you later." She says. I then leave and get into my car and head to school. When I get there the entire school is decorated with school colors. It looks really awesome! I then walk to my first period class. The rest of the day, goes by pretty fast. As the game becomes closer and closer, I get more and more nervous. Fortunately, I am able to come home to get away from all of the school. I need some time to my self.  
When I get home, I get a bottle of water and sit down for a minute. I then turn on the television for a minute, but I flip through all of the channels and there is nothing good on so I turn it off and go to my room and listen to music instead. After some time has passed, I start getting ready for the game. Once I am ready, I go downstairs and realize that I still have a few more minutes until I have to leave to be at the school. I then hear the phone ring.  
so I answer it. "Hello." I say.  
"Hey, this is Albuquerque OBGYN, I am calling to remind Gabriella Bolton that she has an appointment scheduled for Friday at eleven o'clock." The other line says. It is one of those automated phone calls. I then hang up once I hear the message. I wonder what my mom is going there for. Is she pregnant? Questions like that come racing through my head. I guess that I will need to ask her at some point, but I don't know how to. I then look at the time and realize that I need to be at the school, so I get into my car and head over to East High. Once I get there, I go straight to the locker room where the rest of the team is supposed to meet at, but I am the only one in here. I then look around, and find my dad standing there. "Hey, dad." I say.  
"Hey, sweetheart." He says.  
"Where's the rest of the team?" I ask.  
"Hopefully on there way." He says. "We are supposed to play in half an hour."

"Yeah, that's why I got here when I did." I say.  
"I also like the fact that you are already ready." He says.  
"I figured that's what you would prefer." I say.  
"Smart move." He says. "So are you ready?"  
"I think so." I say.  
"Not to make you nervous, but I have you playing a big majority of the game." He says.  
"Oh, why not let someone else?" I ask.  
"You are one of our better players, and we need you tonight especially." He says. "We are playing West High our rival."

"I know, and I think that we can beat them." I say.  
"I like that optimism." He says. Then Emily comes walking in. "Good, at least now we have two players."

"Jess, are you the only one here?" She asks.  
"Yeah." I say.  
"Hopefully the rest of the team will be here." She says.  
"I know, I'm beginning to be worried." Dad says.  
"Coach, you are worried?" Emily asks.  
"Just a little." He says. "This is my first year of coaching and I'm beginning to wonder if that was such a good idea."

"You are doing great." Emily says.  
"Thank you, Emily." He says. "Both of you are defiantly going to be starters." "

Really?" She asks. "I've never started in a game." "Well, you will tonight." He says. "You've improved a lot since tryouts."

"Thanks coach." She says.  
"No problem." He says. Some time has gone by and finally the rest of the team has arrived. My dad then walks back into the locker room to give us a pep talk before the game. "Alright, team this is our first game of the season. I know that most of you are nervous, but I know that if you all give everything that you have, you will do great. And whether we win, or lose, we are all still a team. I want you guys to go out there and have fun. Now lets go out there and kick some Knight butt." He says. "Now what team?"

"Wildcats." We chant back.  
"What team?" He says again.  
"Wildcats." We say again. "Wildcats, get your head in the game."

We all then run out onto the court. "Ok, here's tonight's lineup." He says. "Jackson, Bolton, Harper, Reid, Villa, and Prescott." We then go out there and start the game. I am happy to start the season off right. Hopefully we will win. That would be really nice.  
Emily starts off at tip off. We are then able to get the ball and I take off down the court and score the first goal. The crowd roars. By the end of the second quarter the score is tied 14 to 14. We then all go to the locker room to get some water and regroup.  
"Alright, girls, you have shown great effort, and West High has a good team this year. I think that in order for us to beat them we all are going to have to give more effort." My dad says. The team then sits down for a second. My dad motions for me to come over to him, so I get up and come over to him.  
"What's up?" I ask.  
"Ok, so how are you feeling?" He asks.  
"Fine, why?" I ask.  
"What I mean is, do you feel up to playing the next two quarters?" He asks.  
"Um, I can play most of it, but I will need to get out for a little while." I say.  
"Ok, I can do that, I just feel like we need you to help us win." He says. "But I only wanted you, if I knew that you felt up to it. Otherwise it wouldn't be worth it." "I understand." I say.  
"Try to get some rest, we will be using you a lot for the remainder of the game." He says. I then sit down for the remainder of the fifteen minute half time that we have. I really wish that I wasn't all that good, I wasn't prepared to play all four quarters. But I am willing to play. We then start the third quarter. I end up playing about half of that quarter. I then end up playing all of the fourth quarter. We are down to the final seconds of the game we are winning by one point, but it would be good to score a few more. I then steal the ball from the other team.  
I then take off down the court. I am running strong, its down to ten seconds. My heart is beating as I go up to make the final layup of the game. I leap in the air, and my form is perfect. While still in the air, I get knocked by another player and I fall to the ground. I hear something in my leg snap.  
I instantly feel pain shooting through my left leg. I think that I may have broke it, but I really do not know. I try to get up, but the pain is too much for me to bare. Next thing I know, my dad rushes onto the court. The game is over, and luckily, I made that layup. "Are you alright?" My dad asks.  
"I don't know." I say. He then tries to move my leg. I wince in the pain. "I think that it may be broke." He says. "The way you landed was pretty bad." "I know, I got tripped up by someone." I say.  
"If it hadn't been at the end of the game you would have had a foul shot." He says.  
"I doubt that it would have done any good." I say. "Hey, on the bright side, at least you made that layup." He says.  
"But most likely I'll be out for most of the season." I say.  
"It's alright." He says. "I can probably talk the college scouts into coming back later in the season."  
"Wait there were scouts at this game?" I say.  
"Yeah, I didn't want to tell you, because I knew that you would get nervous." He says.  
"I bet that they are going to think that I am clumsy." I say.  
"They won't." He says. "How about we get you off of the court and get you to the ER just to make sure that you'll be alright."  
"Ok." I say.  
"Do you think that you can stand up?" He asks. He then tries to help me up and I stand for a brief second, and then almost fall. He then picks me up and carries me out to his truck in front of the school. "Just wait right here, and I'll be right back." "It's not like I can go anywhere." I say. He then runs into the school. Chris then comes out the door. "Are you alright?" He asks.  
"I think that I will be." I say. My leg hurts so bad, but I hold back tears.  
"You're going to get it x-rayed right?" He asks.  
"Yeah, my dad thinks that I broke it." I say. "Especially since there is a gigantic bruise on my leg." "Oh, that looks pretty bad." He says.  
"Chris, you need to get inside, you have a game starting soon." I say.  
"I know, but I would rather be with you." He says.  
"Chris, you need to play." I say.  
"The whole game I will be thinking about you." He says.  
"Please do something for me." I say.  
"What?" He asks.  
"Go out there and play the best that you can." I say.  
"I will." He says. "I'll be out there playing for you." I then smile.  
"I'll text you when we find out anything." I say.  
"Ok, thank you." He says. "Now, go out there and win ok." I say.  
"I'll do my best." He says. "The Knights have a good team this year."  
"But so do the Wildcats." I say. "You've got this, I believe in you."  
"Thanks." He says. "I'm glad that you have my back." "Who else's would I have." I say. "Now, go inside before you miss your game."  
"Ok, I'll see you later." He says. He then runs inside the school. I then let the tears that I had been holding back form. I can't hold them in any longer. The pain is almost to much to bare. A moment passes and then my mom comes out to my dad's car. "Hey, sweetie." She says. "Do you need any Tylenol or anything?" I nod my head for yes. She then pulls out a bottle from her purse and hands me one and a bottle of water. "I figured that you would need something."

"Thank you." I say after I take the pill.  
"It's no problem, it is what mom's are for." She says. "Are we about to leave?" I ask.  
"Yeah." She says. "Your dad went to get his stuff and your stuff too."  
"Oh, ok." I say. "Chris was worried about you." She says.  
"I know, he came out here and it took everything for me to get him to go inside." I say.  
"He just cares about you." She says.  
"I know, but I will be alright." I say. "All that I did was probably break a bone."

"I know, but the way you fell, was pretty bad." She says.  
"I barely remember how it happened." I say. "It all happened so fast."

"I know." She says. Within a few minutes, my parents and I head to the nearest hospital, which is about a ten minute drive from the school. We get checked into the ER and surprisingly, it is a slow night and they are able to take me back to an examining room right away.  
We are able to get an x-ray right off the bat. I then am sitting in an examining room awaiting the results of the x-ray. "How are the boys playing?" I ask. I know that Chad is giving my dad updates on the game.  
"Right now, they are losing." Dad says.  
"By how much?" I ask.  
"A lot." He says. "Chad had to take Chris out of the game, because he isn't focused."

"Maybe I should call him during half time and let him know that everything is alright." I say.  
"That would be a good idea." He says.  
"I of course want to know what the doctor has to say first." I say.  
"Yeah, because you know that he will want to know exactly what is going on." My mom says.  
"Yeah, that's Chris for you." I say. Then the doctor walks into the room. "Alright, do you want the good news or the bad news first?" The doctor asks.  
"Good news." I say.  
"Ok, well you won't need to have surgery." She says. "But you did suffer a pretty bad fracture of your tibia." "Ok, so what's next then?" Dad asks.  
"Well, Mr. Bolton, as you can see from the x-ray it is a bad fracture, its what is called a-"  
"Spiral fracture of the tibia." My dad finishing her sentence.  
"Exactly, how did you know that?" She asks.  
"I've had a break just like this when I was in the tenth grade." He says.  
"Well, then I'm sure that what I am about to say you will understand very well." She says. "Well, Jessica we are going to start you off with a cast, but I need for some of the swelling to go down, so for a couple of days I want you to wear a splint, and keep your leg elevated, and stay off of it as much as you can, which shouldn't be too hard given the amount of pain that you are in. Then let's say on Friday you will come back into my office, I'll go ahead and get an appointment set up, and we will put a cast on, that you will have on for several weeks and you may have to have physical therapy depending on how things heal up. Do you have any questions?"  
"Will I be able to play basketball?" I ask.  
"We'll see, fortunately you are pretty active." She says. "Maybe you'll get to play at least the last game of the season. Alright, so we're going to get that splint put on and then you can leave. I will also go ahead and get the appointment set up for you." She then walks out of the room.  
"At least it's my left leg." I say.  
"What difference does that make?" My mom asks.  
"At least I can drive." I say.  
"True." My dad says. I then get the splint and have an appointment set up for Friday at two o'clock and we then leave the hospital and head home. When we get to the house, my dad picks me up and carries me into the house and places me on the couch. "Where are Zach, Caleb and Zane?" I ask.  
"Chris, said that he would bring them home after the game." He says. "Which just ended." He says.  
"How did they do?" I ask.  
"They did alright." He says. "I'm sure that Chris will tell you." "I'm sure that he will." I say. I then prop my leg up on the ottoman that is in front of the couch. "Do you need anything?" My mom asks.  
"I'm fine right now." I say. "Thank you though."  
"You're welcome." She says. My dad then walks off for a minute, and I am there with just my mom. "Mom, I almost forgot to tell you." I say. "The doctor's office called to confirm your appointment for Friday at eleven."

"Thank you." She says. "I almost forgot."  
"Is everything alright?" I ask.  
"Yes, sweetheart, there is no reason to worry." She says.  
"Ok." I say. "You're not pregnant are you?"

"What would make you think that?" She asks.  
"I don't know, I was just curious." I say.  
"Can you keep a secret?" She asks.  
"Sure." I say.  
"I'm pregnant." She says.  
"You are?" I ask.  
"Yes." She says. "How far along are you?" I ask.  
"About two months along." She says. "I just found out about two weeks ago." "That's awesome." I say. "Have you told dad yet?"  
"No, that's why you need to keep it a secret." She says. "I was going to wait until his birthday ,which is in two weeks, to tell him."  
"Ok, I can definitely do that. " I say. "I was hoping that you could." She says with a smile. Chris and my brothers then walk in the door of the house. "Hey, how are you?" Chris asks.  
"Better." I say. "I'm not in nearly as much pain, the medicine worked."

"That's good." He says. "Wait, hold up, you took medicine, I thought that you never would take any?"  
"I needed it really bad." I say.  
"You must have." He says. "So are you staying out tomorrow?"  
"Yeah, and I might stay out Thursday and Friday as well." I say. "I have to go to the doctor on Friday to get a cast put on."  
"Oh, well I completely understand needing to do that." He says.  
"I'm glad that you do." I say. My mom then leaves the room. "So, how did the game go?"  
"We won, barely though." He says.  
"I guess that my phone call worked after all." I say.  
"Yeah, it did." He says. "I actually scored some tonight. Fortunately, there weren't any scouts in the crowd."

"Be glad, there were some at my game." I say.  
"Oh, well you played really well out there tonight." He says.  
"Up until the last few seconds." I say.  
"It's alright, we all have our slip ups in life." He says. "Yours just ended up being literal." "That's not funny." I say.  
"Sure it is." He says. "I bet you later in life you will look back on this and laugh." "I doubt it." I say with a smile.  
"At least it got you smiling." He says.  
"Yeah." I say. "I can always count on you for a smile." "Yes, you can." He says. "Well, it's getting kind of late, so I'm going to go, I'll see you later." "Alright." I say. "See ya." He then leaves. I then attempt to get up to go to the bathroom, but am having a hard time getting up. Fortunately, my mom walks into the room and helps me get to the bathroom. I hate having to have help for everything, but I guess that I will have to get used to it. It won't be that bad having help, I think to myself.

* * *

**I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. It may take me more time to update in the next year, but I will do my best to update at least once a week.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

I try so hard to sleep, but every position that I lie in just brings more pain to my leg. This stinks, I have been in this splint for a couple of days and I am already glad to be rid of it, and get a cast. Hopefully it won't be so bad. Or at least I will figure out what to do with the pain that is piercing through my leg. Finally after trying to sleep, I give up. It is four o'clock. There isn't really anything that I can do at four o'clock without bothering nearly everyone in the house. I then pull out my phone and some ear buds and listen to music and watch videos until at some point, I fall asleep. I am a woken by the noise of my dad walking into the kitchen to get some coffee. I then sit up. "Oh, I'm so sorry I didn't mean to wake you." He says.  
"I know that you didn't." I say. "I couldn't sleep anyhow."

"Well, hopefully soon you will be able to." He says.  
"Let's hope so." I say.  
"Would you like some coffee?" He asks.  
"Yes." I say. "That would be great." My dad then fixes me a cup of coffee and brings it over to me.

"I was planning on taking you to the doctor today, but I have a meeting with the Heat this afternoon." He says.  
"What do they want." I say. "I thought that you retired."

"I did, but as part of being a recruiter, I have a few things to take care of, and besides I was invited to play in a charity game next weekend, and I am thinking about playing in it." He says.  
"That would be great for you, but you need to be careful." I say.  
"I know, I will." He says.  
"Sure." I say.  
"I will, trust me." He says. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get ready."

"Where is the meeting at?" I ask.  
"It is in L.A." He says.  
"Oh ok." I say. "I thought that it was in Miami."

"I was going to be, but the people I am meeting with were already in L.A. so it would just make things simpler for me to catch a flight to L.A. rather than Miami and they have to fly there too." He says.  
"I guess that you are right." I say. "So when will you be back?"

"I should be home tonight, if not it will be tomorrow morning." He says. "But I don't intend on it taking that long."

"I hope not." I say.

"Hopefully the doctor will be able to put that cast on so that your leg can heal up faster." He says.  
"I hope so." I say.  
"How is your leg feeling?" He asks.  
"It still hurts a little, but at least the swelling has gone down some." I say.  
"That's good." He says. "That's why the doctor didn't want to put the cast on."

"That would make since." I say.  
"Well, I'll see you before I leave." He says.  
"Bye dad." I say.  
"Bye sweetheart." He says. He then walks off to go get ready for his meeting today. I then turn back on my music and drink my cup of coffee. After a little bit, I get help upstairs and I start getting ready. My mom then walks into my room.

"Hey." She says. "Do you need any help?"

"I think that I've got it." I say.

"I hope that you don't mind going with me to the doctor." She says. "I think that it would be better than you staying at home by yourself." "I suppose." I say as I finish up my makeup. "Besides, I know that the past few days haven't been that much fun, being here all alone." She says.  
"Yeah, they haven't really." I say. "I would rather go back to school." "I know that you would, and you should be able to on Monday." She says.  
"Good." I say. "I'm so tired of being at home like this, it's ridiculous." "I can only imagine." She says. "Well, I'm going to finish getting ready and then we can go." "Alright." I say. She then leaves and I finish getting ready. I then hobble out of my room and attempt to make it down the stairs, which is to no avail. Fortunately, my mom just so happens to be right there and helps me out.  
"Thanks." I say.  
"It's no problem." She says. We then leave and go to her doctor's appointment, which is kind of interesting, I guess. They do an ultrasound and then check and make sure that the baby is alright, and of course everything is alright. Once we are done, we go get some lunch at a little cafe that mom and I enjoy going to.  
"So, how did you sleep last night?" My mom asks.  
"I didn't really sleep until about five, and then dad came into the kitchen and made a lot of racket and woke me up." I say.  
"I'm sorry." She says. "Hopefully, you'll be able to sleep tonight." "I think that it will be better, when I am able to do stairs on my own without almost falling." I say.  
"I think that when you get your cast you will get some crutches." She says.  
"Let's hope so." I say. "I really would rather sleep in my own bed, instead of the couch." "I know, and if it wasn't for the fact that we don't have a guest bedroom downstairs you could have used that room." She says.  
"I'll be fine." I say. We then continue talking for a while. Finally, it is time for us to head to my appointment. It goes by pretty fast. They re-examine my leg and then they put a cast on it. I then get a set of crutches to use, and they show me how to use them. After that is over, we are able to leave. I walk into the house, and sit down on the couch. "Using crutches is harder than I thought." I say.  
"Yeah, there aren't really all that fun." Mom says.  
"Well, I guess that it is better than trying to not put pressure on my left leg." I say.  
"Exactly, it will help you be able to balance better." She says.  
"Yeah, I guess that it will." I say. I then put my leg up on a pillow, and fall right off to sleep. It feels good, to finally be able to sleep, but I am all too soon interrupted by the door opening and I hear Chris walk in.

"Hey." He says. I then sit up. I am mad that he woke me up, but I try not to show him.  
"Hey." I say with a yawn.  
"I woke you up didn't I?" He asks.  
"Yeah." I say. "But it's fine." "I can leave, if you want." He says.  
"No, you're fine." I say. He then pulls a chair over to the couch.  
"So how does the cast feel?" He asks.  
"My leg feels stiff, I have a feeling that I won't be playing basketball for a very long time." I say.  
"You might, but it's alright." He says. "I remember a certain someone telling me that they didn't want to play basketball. Oh wait that was you."

"Very funny." I say. "I didn't want it to be like this."

"I know, I was just trying to get you to laugh, but I can see that it isn't going to work." He says.  
"Yep, you are so right." I say.

"So how are you with the crutches?" He asks.  
"It's going to take time to get used to them." I say. "And I am definitely going to need your help for a while during school."

"That shouldn't be a problem." He says.  
"Good." I say. "I knew that I could count on you."

"You always can." He says.

"Did you bring my brothers home?" I ask.  
"No, I was going to, but they had basketball practice, and your grandmother said that she would bring them by." He says.  
"Oh, that's good, because I know that for a while, I will not feel like driving." I say.  
"I know, and I don't have a problem with coming by and getting you and taking you to school." He says.  
"You are such a good boyfriend." I say.  
"Why thank you." He says. "So do you want to cuddle on the couch and watch a movie?"  
"That sounds lovely." I say. He then puts in a movie and gets it ready for us to watch. I snuggle up next to him and eventually I doze off for a little bit. After some time, I wake up and see that he too fell asleep. I then close my eyes for a little bit longer, but I am awoken by my brothers barreling through the house. Sometimes, I think that they don't realize how loud and obnoxious they can be. I then try to sit up, but see that Chris still has his arm around me. I then gently move his arm, so that he doesn't wake up.

"Oh, hey." Zach says.

"Hey." I say sleepily.  
"We woke you up didn't we." He says.  
"Yeah." I say.  
"Sorry." He says. "I told them not to be so loud." "It's alright." I say. "I'm a light sleeper, that's all." "And I'm guessing that this one isn't." He says.  
"Yeah, that's my guess too." I say with a laugh. Chris then wakes up. "Hey, sleepyhead." "Sorry, I must have fell asleep." He says. "How long have you been up?"  
"About five minutes." I say.  
"Oh, ok, I don't feel so bad." He says. "You could have woke me up."

"You looked so peaceful, I didn't want to bother you." I say.  
"You could have." He says.

"I'll remember that, next time." I say.  
"I'm sure that you will." He says.  
"Where's dad?" Zach asks.  
"Oh, he had a meeting in L.A." I say.  
"Oh, when is he coming home?" He asks.  
"Either tonight or tomorrow." I say. "But I have a feeling that it will be tomorrow."

"What makes you think that?" He asks.  
"I don't know." I say. "I just figured that would happen."  
"Oh, I guess that you are right." He says.  
"Yeah." I say. We all then talk for a little while. I am so happy to get my mind off of my pain that I have been feeling.  
Some time has gone by, and it is getting pretty late. We have played games and really have had a good time. "Well, I need to get going, it's getting pretty late." Chris says.  
"Do you really have to?" I say.  
"Yeah, my mom is going to be wondering where I am at." He says.  
"Ok, well I wish that you didn't have to leave." I say.  
"I need to though." He says. "I'll talk to you later." "Promise?" I ask.  
"I promise." He says. "I'll see you later." I say.  
"See ya." He says. He then leaves and heads home. I then get up and use my crutches to go upstairs to my room. I then change into my pajamas and go to sleep. I am grateful to be able to get some sleep, that I desperately need.

* * *

I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter. Sorry for it not being that long. I will try to post the next chapter on Monday.


	9. Chapter 9

So here's the next chapter, I hope that everyone enjoys! Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical. I'm going to try to start putting a new chapter of my story each Sunday.

* * *

**Chapter Nine:**

The weekend passed by pretty fast, and I was able to go back to school on Monday, something that I thought would be great. Yeah, it is better than being cooped up at home, but I need my independence. I guess that it is something that I will just have to deal with. The week has flown by and it is finally Friday. Thank goodness, I am one week closer to getting this cast off. "Jess, I don't mind helping you, but my teachers are starting to get irritated for me being late to class." Chris says. He has been carrying my books for me to the classes that I have each period.  
"Did you tell them that you were helping me?" I ask.  
"Yeah." He says. "And at first they all thought that it was sweet, but now they think that I am using it as an excuse to be late to class."

"Well, if you don't want to help me, that's fine." I say. "It will take me the same amount of time."

"I didn't mean it like that." He says. "I have an idea, I could carry you, it would at least be faster than you walking around on crutches."

"Chris, what about our books." I say.

"Oh, I've got a plan for that one too." He says. We then spot Jagger Cross, Jason and Martha's son. "Jagger, could you carry Jessica's stuff for me?"

"I guess." Jagger says.  
"Thank you." I say.  
"It's no problem." He says. Chris then picks me up and carries me down the hallway. I have to admit, I am pretty embarrassed, I honestly think that it will take the same amount of time for him to carry me as it would for me to walk myself, but I'm not telling him that. "What teacher do you have?"  
"Thompson." I say.

"That actually is on my way." He says. "My class is right beside her's."

"See, sometimes my plans do work out." Chris says. I just smile, Chris is so crazy. "I hope that we don't get in trouble." I say. "For what?" He asks. "Carrying me." I say. I'm more concerned about my dad getting mad, he knows Chris and I are together, but that doesn't mean that he isn't protective of me. "Everyone knows that you broke your tibia." He says.  
"Yeah, and besides, it really isn't that big of a deal." Jagger says.  
"True, I guess." I say. We then make it where our class is at. Chris then gently set me down, and I walk into the classroom.  
"Thank, Jag." Chris says.  
"No, problem, anything for Jessica." He says with a wink and then leaves.  
"What was that?" Chris asks.  
"I don't know." I say. We just laugh and take a seat. The rest of the day goes by pretty fast. I am thankful for the weekend to begin. I then go to the parking lot of the school, and look around for Chris at first I don't see him. I then look at my phone and see a text from him that says _I forgot that I had basketball practice, I tried to get out of it but couldn't. You could stay and watch if you want. Love you._ I have to admit, Chris is pretty sweet. I then send him back,_ Thanks, but I think that I am going to go home with my dad today._ I then walk over to my dad's office. When I walk in he is looking at some paper work. I knock on the door, and walk in.  
"Hey sweetheart." He says. "I was about to go look for you."

"Well, I figured that you were in here." I say. I then take a seat.

"Well, you are right." He says. "I am about to leave, if you need a ride home."

"That would be great." I say. "Chris had offered to take me home, but he forgot that he had practice today."

"Oh, yeah." He says. "I had a question for you, even though you can't play do you still want to come to practice?"

"I don't know." I say. "Well, I had talked with the school, and they agreed that you could assist me in coaching until they find someone, and who knows how long that will take." He says.  
"I'll think about it." I say. "I'm not sure how much help I would really be."

"Hey, think about it." He says. "You would at least be some help, and if I had something else I had to do, I could get you to run practice, that's usually what the captain does anyhow."

"Wait, I thought that Emily was captain." I say.  
"Well, the team had thought about naming Emily captain after you got injured, but they decided that even though you got hurt you should still be captain. I was surprised by that. " He says.  
"That's so sweet of them." I say. "I'll have to think about it though."

"I understand that." He says. "Hopefully, before the season is out you'll be able to play."  
"I hope so." I say. "I go back in about three weeks to see what they are going to do about my leg."

"That's good, maybe it will heal up fast enough." He says.  
"Let's hope so." I say. My dad then finishes up a few more things, and it doesn't take him that much time. We then leave and head for home. When we get home, I go into the family room and start on some homework that I have. I have a few things that I have to catch up on, since I was out for three days, fortunately the teachers are very considerate. It doesn't take to long for me to finish up my calculus homework. I then move onto some more of my work. I then let out a sigh, it's not that everything is all that hard, but it is so time consuming. "Working on homework already?" Chris asks breaking my silence. "More like catching up." I say. "When did you get here?" "I just walked in." He says. "For a minute there, I thought that you were working on next week's work." "I would do that, but teachers won't let me do that anymore." I say.  
"Yeah, and I on the other hand, keep it simple." He says. "I wait to the last minute to get things done." "And how is that working out for you?" I ask.  
"Pretty good." He says.  
"Well, procrastination is something that I try to avoid, but if it works, I say go for it." I say. "It doesn't always." He says. "But sometimes, I have no choice." "I know what you mean, between basketball and school, I used to barely have any time for anything." I say.  
"At least now you have a break." He says.  
"True." I say. "I guess that it was a blessing in disguise." "Maybe, I should get hurt so that I can get a break." He says.  
"I don't think that, that would be such a good idea." My dad says. Evidently he overheard the conversation.  
"Why not?" He asks.  
"Well, you could blow your knee, like I did, and have a hard time doing anything that you really want to do." Dad says.  
"True." Chris says. "I guess that I see your point."

"And besides, it stinks to have to be on crutches for about six weeks or so." I say.  
"Yeah, it would be pretty annoying." He says.  
"Exactly." I say. We all then carry on some small talk for a while and then Chris leaves. I then go to my room and grab a book off of my bookshelf and start reading. I then hear a knock on my door.  
"Come in." I say. My mom then walks in. "So, I have a plan." She says.  
"For what?" I ask.  
"For telling your father about the baby." She says.  
"Ok, what is it?" I ask. She then tells me her plan. It is a pretty good idea. "But aren't you afraid that he won't get it."  
"I think that he will." She says. "And I'm going to tell him on his birthday, which is on Tuesday."

"I think that maybe it would just be better, to simply tell him." I say.

"But, it would be more fun this way." She says. "Besides, I think that he will be really excited."

"I think so too." I say. "But probably more surprised than anything else."

"True." She says. "And the party has to go well too."

"We're doing it on Tuesday?" I ask.  
"Yeah, I figured that we could just do something simple." She says. "Just because he's turning forty doesn't mean that we have to do something extravagant."

"I agree." I say. "I think that he will like it better anyhow."

"Which is why we're doing it this way." She says. "But I'm going to need your help."  
"Of course." I say. "Don't worry at least, I'm not busy with basketball."

"That makes it better." She says. "Wait, is there practice on Tuesday?"  
"I'm not sure." I say. I then look at the practice schedule on my phone. "No, not on Tuesday. I think that dad had planned on not having practice on that day, since it is his birthday." "That's good, but someone will have to keep him out of the house until seven." She says.  
"Get Chad to." I say. "He could take dad to do something, for his birthday so that we could get things set up." "That's a good idea." She says. "See I really need you, my mind is so preoccupied with everything." "I do my best." I say. "Ok, I'll take care of the details." She says. "And if you need anymore help, just let me know." I say. "I will." She says. "You don't have to worry about that." I just laugh. We then just talk for a little while about random things. It is good to be able to get some one on one time with my mom. I really enjoy this, and I think that she does too.  
"So, how are you feeling?" I ask.  
"A little bit better." She says. "This morning sickness is awful, but at least the doctor was able to give me something for it."

"I'm surprised that dad hasn't figured it out yet." I say.  
"Well, I was afraid that he would, but somehow he hasn't caught on yet." She says.  
"That's weird." I say.  
"Well, he's been so busy lately." She says. "Hopefully things will slow down soon."

"Things should." I say. "At least for a while." "Yeah." She says. "It's sort of funny." I say. "You get rid of one kid and get another one."

"Yeah, but honey don't think of it like that." She says. "Yeah, you'll be leaving, but that doesn't mean we're getting rid of you."

"I know." I say. She then gives me a hug.

"Well, I'm getting really tired." She says.

"Alright, I'll see you in the morning." I say.  
"Goodnight, sweetie." She says.

She then leaves my room. I then go back to my book. After I am able to get through a chapter of the book, I hear a knock on my door. "Come in." I say. Zach then walks in. "Hey, what's up?"

"Nothing much." He says. "I have some news." He then sits down on my bed.  
"What happened?" I ask.  
"Well, you remember Hannah?" He asks.  
"How could I forget her." I say.  
"Well, I asked her to be my girlfriend." He says.  
"You did?" I say. "Good job little brother! What did she say?"  
"She said that she would love to be my girlfriend." He says.  
"That's awesome." I say. "Now both of us are in relationships."

"We'll have to double date sometime." He says.  
"That sounds like a plan, but not right away." I say.  
"I know, I was thinking about maybe when you got that cast off." He says.  
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." I say.  
"I knew that you would be pretty happy having an update on Hannah and me." He says.  
"Yeah, so does anyone else know?" I ask.  
"Not yet, unless she's told anyone, I wanted you to be the first to know." He says.  
"I feel so honored." I say.  
"You should be." He says. "Besides, I knew that you would get mad at me, if you found out from someone else."

"True." I say. I then yawn.  
"Are you tired?" He asks.

"A little." I say. "But if you still want to talk, it's fine."

"That was about all I wanted to tell you." He says. "And besides, I'm getting a little tired myself."

"Ok, well goodnight." I say.

"Goodnight." He says. He then leaves and goes to his room. I then put my book up and go to sleep, I am really tired. It really has been a long day.


	10. Chapter 10

Thanks to all of you that have read my story! I really appreciate it. As always read and review :)

* * *

**Chapter Ten:**

Today is my dad's birthday. I am happy for him, and I know that tonight, when mom tells him about the baby he's going to be more excited. I just hope that things go as planned. Chad is doing what he can to distract dad for a few hours, I'm not sure what they are doing, but I told him to keep dad out of the house until seven. Let's hope that it will happen as planned. I walk into the house after school, my mom has taken the day off so that she could get things set up, I then put down my stuff. "Mom, do you need any help?" I ask.  
"I probably will, but I'm not sure what I need you to do." She says. "Hopefully the boys will get home soon."

"Yeah, I feel bad that I can't help that much." I say.  
"You're fine." She says. "There is something that you can do. I forgot to order a cake, but I think we have some cake mix or something, could you make up a cake." "I'll try." I say. "I'm not sure how it will turn out."

"I meant to order a cake from the bakery, but for some reason it slipped my mind." She says.  
"It's fine." I say. "I'll get to work on it right away." I then walk into the kitchen, grab a stool and start on the cake. I look around for ingredients and am able to find several things that can be used to bake a cake. I then use my phone and look up some cake recipes. I eventually find one that I should be able to make, and I'm hoping that it will turn out alright. After some time, I have made the cake batter, and have put it in the oven. I then begin making some frosting. Zach then walks into the kitchen.

"I heard that you were making a cake." He says. "Do you need any help?"  
"I think that I am good right now." I say as I finish up making the icing. "Could you put this in the fridge for me?"

"Sure." He says. I then hand him the bowl. "Have you ever made a cake before?"  
"From a box, yes." I say. "From scratch, no."

"So, it is probably going to be bad isn't it." He says.  
"No, I think that it should be alright." I say. "I followed the recipe."  
"You probably won't even eat it, will you." He says.  
"And you would be correct." I say.  
"Maybe it will be alright." He says.  
"Let's hope so." I say. I then wait for the timer on the oven to go off. Once it is done, I let it cool for about ten minutes and then start icing it. Once I am done doing that, I take a frosting pen and write 'Happy Birthday' on it. I then take a look at my work, I have to say it is pretty good since it is my first attempt at something like this, I just hope that everyone else likes it. I then clean up my mess, and then go to my room to get ready for the party. When I get upstairs, I look through my closet for something to wear. I know that it isn't a fancy party, but I don't want to look like a hot mess either. I then decide to wear my red dress. It is pretty simple, but cute. I then glance at myself in the mirror. It looks good, but my cast is such a huge eye sore. I just deal with it, and slip on a pair of ballet flats and then finish my outfit off with a simple pair of earrings. I then put on some lip gloss and am ready for the party. I then go downstairs, and see Taylor, Emma, and Chris sitting in the family room. Emma instantly runs over to my, and I pick her up. "Hey pretty girl." I say.  
"Hey." She says. "Guess what, I lost my first tooth." "I see that, you are such a big girl." I say.  
"Mom said that the tooth fairy is coming tonight." She says with glee. "I bet you're excited." I say. "I am." She says.

"Yeah, the whole ride over here she kept going on and on about losing her first tooth." Chris chimes in.  
"Chris, she's five, give her a break." I say. "This is something pretty exciting."

"I guess, but she goes over board on everything." He says.  
"I do not." Emma says sassily.  
"Well, she is one sassy little girl." I say.  
"Yeah, and that's nothing." Chris says. He then tickles Emma and she giggles and squirms around. "Stop, I can't breath." She says in while trying to catch her breath. Chris eventually stops. I then sit down, because I am about to lose my balance. A little while later other people arrive. All of my parents friends from high school come. Some of them I have only seen maybe once or twice, others I see quite often. The first to arrive is Jason and Martha, with their seventeen year old son Jagger and their five year old daughter Jemma. Just a few minutes later Ryan and Kelsi arrive with their ten year old daughter Olivia. I haven't seen Ryan and Kelsi in a long time, I guess they are really busy in New York with Ryan's choreography career on Broadway and with Kelsi composing music,  
some on her songs have been used on Broadway. I think that it is pretty cool what they do. Some time goes by, it is almost seven and only about half of the people that were invited have arrived. It would be pretty bad if the others showed up at the same time as my dad did, it was supposed to be a surprise party and all. Maybe those people just decided not to show up. A few more minutes go by, it is five till seven. Then Sharpay walks in, I've heard a lot about her, but I'm guessing that since high school she has changed. She is holding her three year old daughter Emily, and her eight year old son Parker walks in behind her. Both of her children are so cute, especially Emily, she looks adorable. From what I have heard about Sharpay in the past few years, she was married to a guy named Peyton, who she meant while in New York, but about two years ago they filed for a divorce because of unresolved issues.I think that it is kind of sad that she is left taking care of two kids on her own while still trying to pursue her own dreams.  
Ok, I think to myself, this must be all that is coming. Chris then walks over to me.  
"Hey, do you know who half of these people are?" He says.  
"Yeah." I say. I then tell him who everyone is.  
"How do you remember all of these people?" He asks.  
"I have a good memory, that's all." I say. "You must." He says. "That's one of the reason's that I like you."

"You are so weird, but I like you despite that." I say.  
"I'm glad that you do." He says. He then sits down beside me and we talk for a little bit longer. A few minutes then go by, and Chad sends a text letting us know that they are on the way. We then turn out the lights and wait for my dad and Chad to walk in. We hear the doorknob turn, and we get a little bit quieter. The lights then turn on and we all yell "Surprise". My dad is surprised that we were able to pull off a surprise party, he is usually pretty sneaky and we can't pull anything off. He then sees all of his friends from high school, and they all catch up with one another. I think that everything is going pretty well. Parker then walks over to me and says "You're hot." I am taken back for a second and I just smile.  
"Thank you, Parker." I say.  
"You know my name?" He asks.  
"Yeah." I say.  
"What's your name?" He asks.  
"I'm Jessica." I say. "Well, I'll definitely be seeing you around sometime." He says. He then winks at me and walks off. I then giggle a little bit.  
"That is one strange little kid." Chris says.  
"He's eight." I say.  
"Still, you're ten years older than him, he wouldn't stand a chance." He says. "I don't know." I say. Chris just looks at me. "I was kidding."

"Sure." He says.  
"Besides, I'm already taken, by a really great guy." I say.  
"And who might that be?" He asks.  
"Christopher Michael Danforth." I say.  
"Please, don't use my full name, I think that it is weird." He says.  
"Alright, I won't say it ever again." I say. "Good." He says. "So I heard that you ended up having to bake the cake."

"It's probably awful." I say. "I've never done anything like that before."

"I'm sure that you did a good job on it." He says.  
"Well, you'll see in a little while." I say with a smile. A few minutes go by, and I hear a knock on the door, so I walk over to the door and open it. "Gabriella?" The man asks.  
"No, that's my mom." I say.  
"Oh, I'm sorry, you look a lot like your mother." He says.  
"And who are you?" I ask.  
"I'm Zeke." He says. "I'm sorry that I am late."

"It's fine." I say. I then let him into the house, and he finds my dad and they talk for a while.

"Who was that?" Chris asks.  
"Zeke Baylor." I say. "He played basketball with our dads." "Oh, that's cool." He says. We then go and mingle with everyone. I find out more about everyone, it is pretty cool hearing stories about everyone in high school. I think that my dad is really liking spending time with many of his friends that he may only see one time a year or not even that often. I then sit down on the couch for a little while, and then my dad comes over and sits beside me. "So I heard that you planned most of this party." He says.  
"Yeah, but it wasn't just me, it was my idea to invite all of your high school friends." I say.  
"Thank you." He says. "I think that this the best party I've had in a long time." "You're welcome, I'm just glad that I was able to get them all to come." I say.  
"I am too." He says. We all then continue mingling. We then have the cake, and I am happy that everyone actually likes it, even Zeke who went to culinary school. That is a relief, I thought that it was going to be awful. My dad then starts opening presents. Some of the gifts that he gets make him think about things that happened in high school. There is one gift left, it is the one from my mom. Hopefully he will get it, if not, she should have taken my advice, but we'll see. He opens up the gift, and inside there is a wildcats jersey. On the back it says Bolton 07. At first he just looks at it, it is the size for a baby to wear, and at first, I think that he probably is confused, but then he sees a letter that is in the box along with the jersey.  
Wildcat, I couldn't think of a way to tell you this any better, but we're having another baby. Love you and happy birthday, Gabby. My dad then looks at my mom and asks "We're having another baby?"  
"Yeah." She says. He just sits there for a second. I honestly think that he is shocked. My mom then walks off, I have feeling that she thought that he would be more surprised than this. I then go find my mom. She really wasn't that hard to find, I found her in the kitchen.  
"Mom, are you alright?" I ask.  
"I don't know." She says. "Maybe you're right, maybe I should have just told him."

"No, I just honestly think that he is shocked." I say. "He probably was thinking that Zane was going to be the last kid."

"I was too, and when I found out, I was speechless." She says.  
"That's the same with dad." I say. "Just give him a minute to process it, I'm sure that he'll be thrilled."

"I hope so." She says. "I guess that I overreacted."

"No, it's alright." I say. "It's all just hormones."

"Yeah, I guess that it is." She says. I then give her a hug, and dad walks in the kitchen.

"Do you mind if I have a minute?" He asks.  
"Sure." I say. I then walk off and go back to where everyone else is.

"Gabby, I'm sorry." He says. "I just was shocked. I thought that we had decided that we weren't going to have any more kids after Zane."

"I know." She says.  
"But, sometimes life doesn't go as planned." He says. "And I really am happy."

"You're just saying that." She says.  
"No." He says. "I love you."

"I love you too, Wildcat." She says. He then kisses her.

"So we're good now, right?" He asks after they break from the kiss.  
"Yes, most definitely." She says.

"We should probably get back to where everyone else is." He says.  
"Or we could do something else." She says.  
"Let's save it for after everyone leaves." He says.  
"Ok." She says. They then walk back into the room hand in hand. When I see them, I am happy, at least everything worked out great. I just smile. Zach then comes over to me. "Did you know about mom being pregnant?" He asks.  
"Yeah." I say. "She told me a few weeks ago."

"So you had to keep it a secret?" He asks.  
"Yeah." I say. "But it wasn't that hard."

"So how do you feel about everything?" He asks.  
"I am happy for them." I say. "What about you?"

"I guess I'm happy." He says. "It's just weird."

"I know, but change is a good thing." I say.  
"Maybe you'll get the sister that you've always wanted." He says.  
"Yeah, maybe, but it really doesn't matter." I say.  
"Well, it would be pretty cool to have a little sister." He says. "Having an older one has been cool, so maybe a younger one would be cool too. "  
"You never know." I say. "She could be a mess."

"I doubt that." He says.  
"We'll see." I say. A little while later, everyone leaves and the party is over. Everyone else is cleared out of the family room, except for Chris. I then start cleaning up the decorations.  
"Here, let me help." He says. He then starts helping me clean up.  
"You don't have to do that." I say.  
"I know, but I want to." He says.

"Ok, then of course it's fine." I say.

"You know, it's pretty cool that you're going to have another sibling." He says.  
"I guess." I say.  
"What's wrong?" He asks.  
"Nothing." I say.  
"Come on, I know that somethings up." He says.  
"I'm fine." I say. "I'm happy for my parents."

"I can see right through that." He says. "Just tell me what's wrong."

"Ok, well it is nothing to do with the baby." I say.  
"Then what is it?" He asks. I then sit down and motion for him to sit down too.  
"I got accepted to Stanford." I say.  
"That's awesome." He says. "How is that a problem?"  
"I'm afraid that when we go off to college it will separate us." I say.  
"We'll take this thing one step at a time." He says. "Ok." I say.  
"Are you alright now?" He asks.  
"Yeah." I say with a smile.

"You look tired." He says.

"I am." I say.

"Well, I'm going to go home." He says. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Ok, but you don't have to leave." I say.

"We have school tomorrow anyhow." He says.

"Alright, well I'll see you tomorrow." I say.

"I love you." He says.

"I love you too." I say. He then leans in to kiss me, at first I am hesitant, we haven't been dating that long, I'm scared. We kiss for a brief second. I then gasp.  
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." He says.  
"It's alright." I say. "I've just never been kissed before." I then kiss him this time. It feels good to kiss him. When we break out of the kiss, we just look into each other's eyes. For a minute I am lost in his eyes. I just fell in love with him, but is it all too soon? "Well, I guess that I need to get going." He says. He then walks out. As he is walking down the steps, he looks back at me and almost falls. I giggle a little. He smiles and walks off to his car. I then close the door. I know that a smile is all over my face. I can't contain my excitement. Tonight was a great way to end a day. I just got my first kiss, and it feels great! I then walk up the stairs to my room. I feel like I am on cloud nine, it is the greatest feeling in the world. I feel like it has all been a dream, a wonderful, amazing,spectacular dream. It's a dream that I would never want to wake up from. I then pinch myself to make sure it isn't a dream. And it wasn't, I am happy. I finally feel like I am living in a fairy tale, and Chris is the prince and I'm the princess. It is amazing!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Surprises **

I lie in my bed. I am unable to sleep. I still am reliving my first kiss. It was weird, but it was a good kind of weird. It made me really happy. It is something that is hard for me to explain, but I wish that I had the words to express it. It makes me feel great. I then slowly drift asleep with the thoughts of Chris on my mind. It even brings a smile to my face. I couldn't have thought of a more perfect way to end a night than with a kiss.  
Several hours later, I wake up. Something about today feels so great. I then get dressed for school. When I am ready, I go downstairs and get a cup of coffee. I still have a smile on my face. Both of my parents look at me in a weird way.  
Finally, my dad breaks the silence. "Jess, are you alright?" He asks.  
"I am wonderful." I say. "Everything is wonderful."  
"This isn't like her." He says to my mom.  
"She's in love." My mom says.  
"How do you know?" He asks.  
"I was like that the day after you first kissed me." She says.  
"But that's not what is up with Jess." He says. "Wait, Jessica what happened last night?"

"Nothing, Chris and I took down the decorations, and we talked for a bit and he left." I say.  
"Ok, good." My dad says. I just smile. I then look at my phone and see a text from Chris it says Good morning, did you sleep well?  
That is so sweet that he was concerned if I slept well. I then send back Yeah, what about you? He then sends back I did. After some time I go on to school. I am hoping that I'll see Chris today. When I walk in, I don't see him standing where he normally is at. I then go over to my locker and attempt to carry my books while using crutches. A teammate of mine, Emily sees me and walks over to.  
"Do you mind if I help you?" She asks.  
"I wouldn't mind at all." I say. She then takes the books out of my hand. "So, how much longer will it be before you're off of the crutches?" She asks.  
"I'm not sure." I say. "Probably about three or four more weeks."  
"Well, at least you'll be able to play by the end of the season." She says.  
"I know, I just hope that things go ok." I say. "There's a game tomorrow right?"  
"Yeah, you should come." She says.  
"I'll think about it." I say. "It is hard for me to watch a game that I could be playing."

"I understand." She says.

"I might try and come, and maybe sit on the bench and cheer you guys on." I say.  
"That would be awesome." She says. "Practice hasn't been the same since you got hurt."

"I thought that things would be better." I say.  
"Well, it's weird not having our captain there." She says. "I miss you."

"I miss you guys too." I say. "It's just hard for me to not be able to play."

"I understand that one." She says. We then reach my class. She then hands me my books and I go to class.  
"Thank you so much for your help, Emily." I say.  
"You're welcome, it's no problem, and if you need more help, just let me know." She says.  
"I will." I say. I then go into my class. It really was sweet of Emily. When I walk in, I see that Chris' seat is empty, I guess that I just got here a little early I think to myself. I then sit there and wait. Finally, the bell rings, and there is no sign of him anywhere. I guess he's not coming, but I wonder what's wrong. The rest of the day goes by slowly, I am worried about Chris, I haven't heard anything from him. When I am done for the day, since I have early dismissal, I go to find my dad. He is walking down the hall. "I was looking for you." He says.  
"What's up?" I ask.  
"I just got off the phone with Chad, he said that Chris was in a car accident." He says.  
"Is he alright?" I ask.  
"I'm not sure, right now he is in the hospital." He says. "I was about to go up there and check on him, do you want to come with me?"

"Yeah." I say. "I hope that he's alright."

"Me too." He says. We then get into his car and head over to the hospital. When we get there, we find Chad at the entrance. He looks very concerned. "Is he alright?" I ask.  
"He's unconscious right now, so the doctors really don't know." He says.  
"How bad was the accident?" Dad asks.  
"Well, his car is messed up pretty bad." He says. "But it was the other driver's fault from what I gather."

"Well, at least is wasn't his fault." Dad says.  
"Can we go see him?" I ask.  
"Sure, but I don't think that he has come to." He says. We then walk through the hospital and go to Chris' hospital room. When I walk in, I am horrified by what I see. He is connected to all of these wires, and if I didn't know any better I would say that he is dead. I then walk out of the room for a second to regain composure. I don't want to cry in front of anyone. Once I make it out of the room, I let the tears expel from my eyes. After a few minutes, I go to the bathroom and fix my makeup. When I am done, I go back into the room. I see Chad and dad talking a corner of the room. I then see Taylor and Emma. Emma is too young to even understand what happened. I can see that Taylor's heart is broken. She's worried about her son. I then walk over to Taylor. "Hey." I say.  
"Hey, I didn't realize that you were here." She says. I then can see her tear stained face.  
"So what are the doctors saying?" I ask.  
"Well, they can detect brain function, so its just up to him to wake up, which doctors think he will, but who knows how long that will be." She says. She then starts crying again. I then embrace her with a hug.  
"He's strong, I know that he'll come through this." I say.  
"Let's hope so." She says. "Do you want me to take Emma when I go home?" I ask.  
"I'll need to think about it, but probably." She says.  
"Ok, just let me know." I say. We then talk for a little while. Then a group of doctors come in, and want to run a couple of tests and we are asked to step out into the hallway. The whole time, I am hoping that he will wake up. I don't want anything to happen to him. I love him so much, I think that my life would be messed up without him. Sometime goes by and we end up leaving the hospital. I really didn't want to leave, but dad practically insisted on me needing to go home. So of course, I had to. I just hope so badly that he will wake up soon. Taylor told me that if he woke up so would call or text me to let me know. I lie in my bed. I can't stop thinking about him. I needed so desperately to know that he is fine, that he had woken up. Every single time that I closed my eyes, I could see him. I could see him lying there on that hospital bed, motionless. I knew that he was alive, but I needed to see his brown eyes. I needed to see his smile and hear his sweet voice telling me how much he loved me. I can barely sleep. Finally, by four o'clock, I've given up on sleep. I know that I won't get any. I then get up and go downstairs. I wrap up in my blanket and sit on the couch and turn the television on. I flip through the channels and find something on. I try to watch it, but all I can think about is Chris. I then look at my phone to see if maybe, just maybe, Taylor had called me, but she hadn't. I then bury my face into my blanket and cry for a ferw minutes. I just want to know that he is alright. It's hard for me to know that my best friend is in such critical condition. Finally, I guess my body has fought with tiredness and the tiredness wins, because I fall asleep. I feel the gentle nudge of my mother. I then open my eyes and she says "Sweetie, I know that you don't really want to get up, but you have to go to school." She says.  
"I don't know if I can." I say.  
"Honey, look you have to." She says. "All that I'm going to think about is Chris." I say. She then sits down on the couch beside me. I just put my head on her shoulder. "I don't know what to tell you." She says. I then start crying. She draws me closer to her, and tries to soothe me. "Did you sleep any last night?"  
"I tried, but all I saw every time I closed my eyes was Chris, and I couldn't sleep." I say. "I finally fell asleep a little bit ago, but it was because I was so tired." "I promise you honey, he's going to be alright, the doctors said that when he wakes up, he may have minor brain trauma, but he should be alright." She says.  
"But what if he isn't?" I ask. "Then what?" "Honey, don't think like that." She says. "Try to be possitive." "I'll try." I say. "That's my girl, now how about you go and get ready." She says.  
"Ok." I say. I then give my mom a hug and get up and go to my room and start getting ready for school. For me, I think that it is going to be a pretty rough day knowing that Chris is the way that he is, and there is nothing that I can do. It is really hard for me, I would rather it be me in this situation, than him. Once I am ready, I go downstairs, I hope that no one brings up Chris, I really don't want to cry. I've cried to much already, I don't want to add to it. "Good morning." Zach says.  
"Good morning." I say. I then get some coffee and sit down. "Did you sleep well?" He asks.  
"Not really." I say. "But I'll be alright."

"Ok." He says. "So are you coming to our game tonight?" "I don't know." I say.  
"You should." Caleb says.  
"Zach has gotten a lot better." He says. "I'll think about it." I say. "I know dad can't come."

"Oh, yeah the girls have a game today." Zach says.  
"Yeah." I say. "And Emily asked me to go to that game."

"Well, family is more important than teammates." Caleb says.  
"I never said a definite to her, and I won't give definite to you either." I say. "It will just depend."

"Ok." Zach says. "We understand."

"Besides, there'll be plenty of other games." Caleb says.  
"Yeah, and this game really isn't all that important anyhow." Zach says.  
"Well, I'll definitely take that into consideration." I say.  
"Now, she probably won't come. " Caleb says.  
"I never said what I am doing." I say. "I'll let you know, later, trust me."

"Ok." He says. "Alright, well as fun as it is staying here just talking we all need to get going to school." I say.  
"I guess that you're right." Caleb says.  
"She is right." Zach says. We all then leave for school. When I get there, all that goes through my mind is Chris. I am so scared that everyone is going to ask about him or say something about him. I don't know, how I will react, and I don't want to cry in front of people. It is way to hard for me. When I walk into class I quietly sit there, and don't utter a single word. I listen to what the teachers have to say, and I write down everything, but my mind really isn't focused. All that I can think about, is Chris. It doesn't help any that the school day seems to be going by slower than molasses. I just want it to speed up. I keep checking my phone to see if Taylor has any updates, but she doesn't. Finally, when the bell rings, I get out of class and go to my dad's office. He hadn't heard anything from Chad, but then he gets a phone call from Chad. He steps out of the room and answers the phone call. I'm hoping that it is good news rather than bad news. I need to hear something good.

* * *

**So I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter! If you have any input that you would like to add feel free. Thank you to all of you that have read my fanfic so far. Please read and review :) **


	12. Chapter 12

**So here's the next chapter. Thank you to all of you that have either viewed or Favorited this story! I hope that you enjoy this next chapter. Please R&amp;R. **

* * *

**Chapter Twelve:**

The look on my dad's face doesn't look to good. I am preparing myself for bad news. I don't know what is going on. "So what did Chad say?" I ask.  
"Well," He says. "Chris woke up."

"Really?" I ask. "Can we go see him?"  
"Not right now, doctors are running some tests on his brain." He says.  
"When can we go?" I ask.  
"Chad said that probably in about an hour or so he should be done." He says. "But there's a chance he won't remember you."

"But of course, he'll remember me." I say.  
"I don't know, with brain injuries things happen." He says. "I just didn't want you to be hurt."  
"I understand." I say. "So are we going to go home?"  
"Yeah, I have one more things to take care of, and then that is it." He says. "I do have a game tonight, and so do your brothers, but if you want to go to the hospital, I can drop you off, and come back later and pick you up." "I kind of want to go to the game." I say.  
"Really?" He asks. "I thought that you would want to be with Chris." "I do, but I can see him after the game." I say. "I have three brothers that want me to come to their game." "That was a very sweet thing of you to do." He says. "I am almost done here, and I think that your mom is going to their game. I'm sure that she could take you by the hospital, if not she can drop you off here and I'll take you."

"Thanks." I say. "It's no problem." He says. "I see Chris as a son, and I want to make sure he's alright."

"Well, you are his godfather." I say.  
"True." He says. He then finishes up his work and we leave and go home. Mom is at home, she is working on some paper work. Dad walks over to her and says. "Gabby, you're working too much, I don't want you getting stressed out."

"I'm fine." She says. "It's not that much, and it needs to be done for a case tomorrow morning."  
"Just don't over work yourself." He says.  
"I won't." She says. "I'm almost done." She then finishes the form quickly. "So are you going to the boy's game?" He asks.  
"Yes, and you have a game that you are coaching tonight, right?" She asks.  
"Yeah." He says. "I would rather go to their game, but at least I am not nearly as busy as I was last season."  
"That's true." She says. She then looks at me and says "Jess, do you want to come with me?"  
"Yeah, and after could we stop by the hospital to check on Chris?" I ask.  
"Yeah, that should be fine." She says. "How's he doing?"  
"He finally woke up from a coma." Dad says.  
"That's good." She says. "Let's hope that he's alright." "Yeah me too." I say with a smile. "Well, I need to change, and I need to be back at the school soon." Dad says. He then goes to change his clothes. "So you're alright, right?" She asks.

"I guess." I say. "I just want to know that he's alright."

"I understand." She says. "You really do love him, don't you?"  
"Yeah." I say. "He makes me feel special."

"Well, are you ready to go?" She asks.  
"Yeah." I say. "What time does the game start?"  
"In about thirty minutes." She says.  
"I guess that we should go then." I say. We then leave and head to the school. When we get there, there isn't really that big of a crowd. I guess that a middle school game isn't all that popular, but to me it is awesome. I remember when I was there age playing basketball. It was always so much fun.'  
We then find a seat and sit down. I really hope that they win tonight.  
The team then runs out, and I see all three of my brothers. They each then see me in a crowd and wave at me. I wave back. They look really happy that I came to their game. The game then starts. By half time, I have to admit they really play very well. I'm so proud of them. The score is 30- 26, so I think that we will win, but it's hard to say what will happen. Zach then has the ball, and goes down the court, he then passes it off to Zane, who passes it off to Caleb who is near the goal. Caleb shoots and scores. The next fifteen minutes it goes back and forth. Either team could end up winning. Then Zach goes in for a layup and makes it within the final three seconds of the game. The game is then won! The crowd is cheering. I am so happy for them. Zach gets high fives from the team. Once they get away from their team, Zach runs over to me. "I'm glad that you decided to come tonight." He says.  
"I am too." I say. "I would've missed that final shot. Good job, little brother."

"Thank you." He says. "I wish that dad could have been here."

"Well, I videoed the game, so he can watch it tonight." Mom says. "He wanted to be here tonight." "

Well, at least Jess came." Zane says.  
"Yeah, and I'm glad that I did." I say.  
"How's Chris?" Zach asks.  
"He woke up about three hours ago." I say.  
"I'm surprised you didn't go to the hospital." Caleb says.  
"I knew how much you all wanted me to be at the game, and I was thinking that we all could go up to the hospital, if you want to." I say.  
"That sounds like a good idea." Zach says. We then leave, and head to the hospital. I am filled with happiness when we walk into the hospital. I walk passed the front desk and then get onto the elevator and go to the fourth floor. When we get off, I show my mom, and brother's where Chris' room is at. We then walk in. I have a smile on my face. I then sit down beside Chris. "Hey, how are you feeling?" He asks.  
"I'm fine." He says. "Who are you?" I think to myself, I'm his girl friend and best friend since day one.

"I'm your girlfriend, Jessica." I say.  
"I don't remember you, and I think that I would remember that we were dating." He says. I just look at Chad and he motions for me to come over to him. We then step into the hallway. "The doctor said that due to the head trauma that they believe that he is suffering from amnesia." Chad says.  
"How long do they think that it will last?" I ask.  
"They're not sure." He says. "Hopefully it will only last for a short amount of time."

"I hope so." I say. "So does he remember anything?"

"Well, he remembers bits and pieces." He says. "I'm surprised that he didn't know who you were."

"It's ok." I say. "I'm just glad that I know, now. What can we do to help him remember things?"  
"Well, the doctors said to take it slow, and over time introduce people and events to him." He says.

"Ok, but hopefully, he'll regain his memory, right?" I say.  
"Yeah, that's what we are hoping." He says.  
"And when is he coming home?" I ask.  
"Tomorrow, most likely." He says.  
"That's good." I say. We then walk back into the room. I try to talk to Chris and help him remember me, but it is almost useless. I guess that it is alright though, at least he's still alive, that's all that matters. A little while later, we leave the hospital and go home. I am a little upset, because he honestly doesn't remember me, but he is just suffering from amnesia, so he should get his mind back at some point, or at least I hope so.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! Sorry for updating later than I had intended, but I hope that you all enjoy this chapter! :)**

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**Chapter 13:**

The past few weeks have flown by. I am finally off of the crutches and I got the cast taken off. I am so glad! Chris has made some improvement, he finally has regained almost all of his memory. It gives me some peace of mind.  
I also have been able to play basketball some. I still am having some problems, but I am slowly getting back to where I used to be. Fortunately, I am doing fairly well still. I walk down stairs of my house. I then see my brothers working on their homework. Zane looks at me and say "Jess, could you help me with this math?" He asks.  
"Sure, let me see what it is first though." I say. I then sit down beside him and we start working on his homework.  
A little while later, I get a text from Chris. It says 'Hey, do you want to hang out?'  
I wait a few seconds and then respond by saying 'Sure, what do you want to do?'  
He then sends back 'Maybe go see a movie or something. I'll be at your house in five minutes.'  
I then send back 'Ok.'  
I sigh and think to myself, are we ever going to end up like we were to begin with? If not, maybe eventually we'll get to that point. But I honestly don't know what is going to happen. I then go upstairs and fix my makeup, and pull my hair into a loose ponytail. I then walk downstairs just as he is pulling into the driveway. I then open the door for him and he walks inside.  
"So how have you been?" He asks.  
"Good, I guess." I say.  
" That's good." He says.

"So how have you been?" I ask.  
"Good." He says. "By the way you look beautiful."

"I look awful." I say.  
"No, no matter what you wear, you are still the most beautiful girl, I have ever met." He says.  
"Chris, you are so sweet." I say.  
"I try to be." He says.  
"Well, you do a great job at it." I say with a smile.  
"So, I was thinking, would you like to go to this new karaoke club that just opened up the other day?" He asks. "I saw it on my way to school the other day, and I thought that it would be fun."

"Chris, I can't sing." I say.  
"Yeah right." He says. "I know that your parents can sing, and if you're a product of them, then you can as well."  
"That's not true, Caleb can't carry a tune to save his life." I say.  
"Well, he's the exception." He says.  
"I thought that you didn't like to sing." I say.  
"I do, I just didn't want to tell anyone." He says.  
"Then why are you now?" I ask.  
"Because, I changed my mind." He says.  
"You confuse me." I say. "But, I guess that it could be fun."

"And you'll actually sing, right?" He asks.  
"I'm not making any promises, but you can go ahead and do whatever you want." I say.  
"Ok, and if not, we can hang out and make fun of the people that can't sing." He says.  
"That sounds like a good idea." I say. "I'll be right back, I need to grad a jacket and then we can go."  
"Ok, take your time." He says. I then go upstairs and get a jacket and let my hair down and then go downstairs.

"Are you ready to go?" I ask.  
"Yeah." He says. We then get into his truck and head to the karaoke club. I really don't want to do this, but I knew that it would make him happy, and I am all about people pleasing.  
When we arrive at the place, he opens the door for me and I walk into the place. It does look pretty cool, and is suprisingly crowded, but then again, it is a Friday night, and I guess that people didn't have anything else better to do, so they just decided to hang out here. When we walk in, we sit at a table, and we order something to drink. "So, are you going to sing?" I ask.  
"Probably not, unless you want to." He says.  
"I've told you, I can't sing." I say.  
"I still am doubting that." He says.  
"Chris, I'm not that good." I say.  
"Well, how about you prove that theory." He says.  
"No, not with a bunch of people around." I say.  
"See, that's what I thought." He says.  
"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask.  
"I knew that you weren't brave enough to perform in front of a crowded room of people." He says.  
"It's not that I'm scared." I say.  
"Uh huh." He says.  
"You don't believe me do you?" I ask.  
"What do you think?" He asks.  
"I'll take that as a no." I say.  
"And you would be correct." He says. "Come on, just one song, please. I'll even let you pick."

"Really?" I ask.  
"Within reason, I'm not going to sing some boy band song though."

"Ah, man, because that's what I was going to pick." I say.  
"Haha, you are too funny." He says.  
"I try to be." I say.  
"So will you sing with me?" He asks.  
"I guess so." I say. He then drags me up to the stage and I select a song. I am really hesitant about singing in front of people, I don't sing in front of people, I only sing in the shower, and even then I am hoping that no one else will hear it, it would be bad if they did. When the music starts playing through the speakers, I feel my nerves getting all out of proportion, I then take a deep breath and start singing. When my portion of the duet is over for a minute, I am happy. I then hear Chris sing, he has the voice of an angel. He sings just as well as any popstar out there, but he would never want to pursue a career like that anyhow. He doesn't like the spotlight all that much.  
After the song is over, we get a huge applause, people are even cheering for us. I just smile, and we then walk off.  
"So you can't sing?" He asks.  
"That really wasn't all that great." I say. "You on the other hand, were great."  
"You were too." He says.  
"You're just saying that." I say.  
"No, you have a beautiful voice." He says.  
"I'm definetly not as good as my parents." I say.  
"You're right." He says. "You're better than they are."

"Thanks, but I don't think so." I say.  
"If miss Darbus got wind of your singing ability she would beg you to audition for the school musical." He says.  
"And she won't find out, because if she does, then you will also have to do it." I say.  
"Ok, I won't say a word." He says. "But it could be fun."

"If I remember correctly, you thought that, that would be a terrible idea to be in the school musical." I say.  
"Well, a man can change his mind." He says.  
"I suppose so." I say. "It's just I don't know what my dad would say, I mean he wants me to go pro, and I doubt that he would want me to do a ton of extra curricular things."

"He did theater, you know." He says.  
"He didn't tell me that, at least not that I remember." I say.  
"You should ask him about it." He says.  
"Yeah, I think that I'll pass." I say. "But thanks for the advice." He laughs, and then pulls out his phone and sees what time it is.  
"What time, do you have to be home by?" He asks.  
"By eleven." I say. "But my curfew isn't really enforced."

"Well, it's starting to get late, how about I take you home." He says.  
"Ok, but you can stay for a while if you want to." I say.  
"Ok, I think that I might just do that." He says. We then leave and go back to my house. When we walk inside, my parents are in the family room watching a movie together. We then go off to another room, and find my brothers playing video games.  
"So what do you want to do?" I ask.  
"I don't know." He says. "You?"  
"How about we go out to the tree house, that we used to play in when we were younger." I say.  
"It's still there?" He asks.  
"Yeah." I say. "Come on." I then grab his hand and we walk outside and climb up to the tree house. I will admit, it has been a long time since I have been up here, but it's kind of cool. "Hey, do you remember when we shared our first kiss up here?" He asks.  
"Yeah, but I don't count that as our first kiss." I say. "I was four and you were five."

"I counted it." He says.  
"We were young." I say. "We didn't even know what a kiss was."

"Now we do." He says.  
"Yeah, because we aren't as young as we once were." I say. He then walks around for a minute and finds a picture of us from when we were younger.  
"Do you remember this?" He asks as he shows me a picture of the two of us.

"No, do you?" I ask.  
"Yeah, it was taken on my fifth birthday." He says.  
"Oh, yeah the one with the bouncy house." I say.  
"Yeah, I used to love the way that you used to wear your hair." He says.  
"In a braid?" I ask.  
"Yeah, I always thought that you looked gorgeous like that." He says. "Not that you don't now." I just smile.  
"I knew what you meant." I say. I then begin to shiver.  
"Are you cold?" He asks.  
"A little." I say. He then pulls off his jacket and puts it on me. "Thank you, but are you sure that you won't be cold."

"I'm fine." He says. "You're more important to me anyhow." "You are too sweet." I say. "I'm glad that we are together."

"I am too." He says. He then kisses me. It feels so magical, I really feel like I am in love with him. He is the best guy in the entire world!


	14. Chapter 14

**_So, here's the next chapter, I hope that you all enjoy! Thank you to all that have been reading my story! Also thank you to everyone that has been following my story, or has Favorited it!_**

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**Chapter 14:**

I look up from my book, that I have been reading for quite some time, and I see Zane standing in my room. "Hey little man, what's wrong?" I ask.  
"I had a bad dream, could I stay in here?" He asks.

"Sure." I say. "Do you want to tell me what it was about?" He just shook his head for no. "You want to know something? I used to get bad dreams all the time when I was your age."

"You did?" He asks.  
"Yeah, I used to have to bother mom all the time, but then one night, I realized that what is in my dreams weren't something that was actually happening , and there is no reason to be scared." I say.  
"Can I still stay in here though?" He asks.  
"Yes, of course you can." I say. I then slide over so that he can get into my bed. "So, do you think that you will be able to sleep?" "Yes." He says. "Good, and if you need me, you can wake me up, it will be fine." I say.  
"Ok." He says. "Thank you Jess."  
"You are welcome." I say. "Goodnight, Zane." "Goodnight Jess." He says. I then turn my lamp off and book my book up. After a few minutes I fall asleep, and I think that Zane finally did too. Before I know it, it is ten o'clock in the morning, I then roll over and see that Zane has left. I then get up and go downstairs. When I get down there I see everyone in my family watching a movie.

"Good morning,sleepyhead." My dad says.  
"Good morning." I say as I sit down beside Zach.

"I need to tell you something." Zach whispers in my ear.

"Ok, do you want to go somewhere else?" I ask. He nods his head, and I then follow him into another room. "So what's up?"

"Well, last night, Hannah broke up with me." He says.

"Wait, what?" I ask. "She broke up with you?"

"Yeah." He says.

"Why?" I ask.  
"Well, she said that she was annoyed with me always playing basketball, but I think that I know the real reason." He says.  
"And what's that?" I ask.  
"My friend Jake, told me that he saw Hannah and Michael, her ex boyfriend, together and they were being very friendly." He says.  
"Oh, that stinks." I say. "I'm sure that you'll find someone else that is better."

"I hope so." He says. "Well there is this new girl at the school, her name is Danielle, and she was flirting with me the other day. She is so pretty."

"Oh, well you move on fast don't you." I say.

"I can't help it, if girls are into me." He says.

"Well, aren't you a ladies man." I say.

"Anyways, I have a game tonight. Are you going to come?" He asks.

"Probably." I say. "I don't have any other plans, or at least not that I know of."

"Good, then I will be looking for you, and Danielle in the stands." He says.

"Someone has a crush." I say.

"Yeah, I guess I do." He says. "But Hannah doesn't need to know that."

"I won't tell her." I say. "Besides, she apparently has moved on."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." He says.

"Yeah, but just keep it between us that I give good advice, I don't want everyone coming to me." I say.

"Ok, I won't tell anyone." He says.

"Ok, well I need to probably change, just in case people randomly show up at our house, because that always seems to happen." I say.

I then walk away and go upstairs to my room. I then change out of my pajamas. A few hours later, my family and I go to my brother's basketball game. When I get there, I see Chad, Taylor, Emma, and Chris standing there waiting on us. As soon as Emma sees me, she runs over to me. I then pick her up. "Hey, cutie." I say.

"Chris is being a jerk." She says.

"And why is that?" I ask.

"He told me, that I wasn't your favorite person." She says. Chris then walks over to us.

"Why would he say that?" I ask.

"I told him that I was your favorite, but Chris said that he was." She says.

"Oh, he did?" I say I then glance over at Chris and he just laughs. "Well, I'll let you in on something, you're my favorite little girl in the entire world." Emma then sticks her tongue out at Chris. I then let her down and she skips off.

"So, I was thinking after the game maybe we could go on a date." He says.

"Yeah, that would be fine." I say. "We could just even go over to my house and watch a movie, just the two of us, if you would rather do that."

"I like that idea." He says with a smile. "I guess that we should find some seats before the game starts though."

"Yeah, I think so." I say. "My brother's might get mad at me, if I didn't actually watch there game." He then laughs and we find a seat. The game goes by pretty fast, and they won, which makes me happy. When the game is over we all go and get something to eat. We had to get two tables, so Chris and I are with Zach and Caleb.

"You guys played really great out there tonight." Chris says.

"Thank you." Zach says. "I really have to owe it to Jess though. She's the one that has helped me the most."

"She is good at helping people out." Chris says. "So how are things going with you and Hannah?"

"She broke up with me the other day." Zach says.

"That stinks, man." He says. "I'm glad that your sister hasn't broken up with me yet."

"I wouldn't do that to you." I say with a smile.

"You two are so weird." Caleb says.

"You're just mad because you haven't found anyone yet." Chris says.

"And I know that you will someday, Caleb." I say.

"We'll see." He says.

"I might could help you out, if you want." Chris says.

"I'll think about it, but I probably will be enlisting your help." He says.

"Ok, whenever you are wanting some help, just text or call me." Chris says.

"I will." He says.

"And if you want help too, Zach I would be willing to help you out too." Chris says.

"I have someone that I like right now, actually." Zach says.

"Boy, you move on way too fast." Chris says.

"It's the girls that are the ones that get all emotionally involved and then don't know what to do when they have a break up, not the boys." I say.

"True, I guess that you're right." Chris says. "So how is Hannah dealing with the breakup?"

"Oh, I think that she has clearly moved on, back to her ex boyfriend." Zach says.

"That stinks." Chris says. "Not only did she break up with you, but she moved on like that."

"Yeah, I know." Zach says. "But I think that there is this new girl at school that is into me."

"Danielle?" Caleb asks.

"Yeah." Zach says.

"Danielle, the brunette? If so she is hot." Caleb says.

"I know. " Zach says.

"You should definitely go for her, because if you don't I might just do it myself." Caleb says.

"Well, at least you do have some decency, to let Zach have her first." I say.

"I know, I'm such a great person." Caleb says. I just laugh and then take a sip of my drink.

"So, I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to go."Chris says.

"Well, I have a feeling that my ride won'y be ready to leave any time soon." Caleb says.

"I can take ya'll home, if you want." Chris says.

"Ok, I'll let my dad know." Zach says. Then him and Caleb walk off.

"So do you still want to watch a movie?" Chris asks.

"Yeah, but I was wanting it to just be us." I say.

"Well, it could still just be us." He says. "I'm sure they are exhausted."

"And they both need a shower." I say.

"See, so we can still have some time to ourselves, if you still want to." He says.

"Yeah." I say. We then leave the restaurant and go back to my house. Fortunately, my brothers leave us alone, and we go downstairs to our movie room, and I put in a movie and we sit down on the couch and watch it. At some point during the movie I get cold, so I snuggle up close to Chris. I'm thankful to have such a great boyfriend that we can watch movies and do things together. We both enjoy being together no matter what we do, whether we go to a basketball game or it is the two of us watching a movie. After a little while, the movie goes off.

"I love spending time with you." I say.

"Me too." He says. "And I love you."

"I love you too." I say with a smile.

"Well, as much as I would love to just stay here all night long, I can't I need to get home." He says. "Maybe we can do something tomorrow or sometime."

"Ok, that sounds good." I say. "I'll walk you out."

"Ok." He says. We then get up and walk upstairs to the front door. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Chris." I say. He then kisses me. After we have embraced with a kiss, he leaves and heads home. I then walk back inside and go upstairs to my room and fall asleep with thoughts of Chris on my brain. He is the best guy that I could have ever dated in my whole life. Who knew that after being friends for seventeen years that we would be dating. It seems like something out of a roman novel or a fairy tale.


	15. Chapter 15

_Hey guys! So here is the next chapter, it isn't very long but I hope that you all enjoy! _

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**Chapter 15:**

Before I knew it, midterms were about to begin. I feel like lately all I have done is study, study, follwed by studying some more. My brain feels like I can't hold anymore knowledge. It is so annoying. I then look up from my books and see Chris standing there in the library. "I thought that I would find you in here." He says.  
"Well, it is the quietest place in the school, and with midterms vastly approaching I need to use every opportunity to study." I say. "You also need to chill and relax." He says.  
"Maybe later." I say. I then go back to my chemistry notes.  
"No, come on, you need a break." He says. "Let's go to the gym and play some basketball."

"But what about studying." I say.  
"No, come on." He says. He then grabs me by the hand and leads me to the gym.

"Chris, I really need to study, and so do you." I say.

"Jess, you need to take a chill pill." He says. "Just relax, and do the thing that you love doing."

"Fine, I'll be leaving now then." I say.

"No, basketball." He says. He then tosses a ball to me. "You can't leave until you have made ten shots in a row."

"That shouldn't be too hard." I say. I then go in for a layup and Chris intercepts and steals the ball and takes it down to the other end of the court. "Christopher Michael Danforth, I thought that I was just supposed to get ten shots and then leave."

"Jessica Renee Bolton, that would be too easy. " He says.

"Shoot, I forgot that you knew my middle name." I say.

"Yeah, let's just face it, you won't be leaving anytime soon with an attitude like that." He says. I then attempt to the steal the ball from him and it is to no avail. He then goes in for a layup and makes it. He then tosses me the ball and I dribble down court and go in for a layup and make it this time. The game keeps going on for a while, and I just have one more to make. I then go in for a layup and I accidently trip, but fortuantly I make the layup. Chris then runs over to me to make sure that I am alright.  
"Are you ok?" He asks.

"Could you help me up?" I ask. He then extends out his hand, and I take hold of it and then pull him down and he falls. He then laughs, which then makes me laugh too.

"I should have seen that one coming." He says.

"Yeah, you really should have." I say. We both then get up. "Well, I don't know about you but I'm going to go study now, and you are more than welcome to join me."

"You're no fun." He says. I just ignore him and walk off to the library. He follows me like a puppy dog and I sit down and begin studying some more.

"Oh, so you decided to join me after all?" I ask.

"I don't know." He says.

"Well, I am just going to hang out here for a couple of minutes and then I am going to go home." I say. "But you can do whatever you want."

"Ok." He says. "Would you mind if I studied with you?"

"Not at all." I say. "That is what I was trying to offer you earlier."

"I'm glad that you did." He says. "My parents will get so mad at me if I don't do well on these midterms."

"I know the feeling." I say.

"But you are miss straight A's student, you have nothing to worry about." He says.

"Yeah, I do." I say. "I need to make good grades if I still want to be able to go to Stanford, or wherever end up going."

"That's true, but you're the smartest person that I know." He says.  
"Thanks, Chris." I say. We both then study for a little while longer. After a bit we leave the school and go to my house. "So what do you want some help with?"

"It doesn't matter." He says.

"Do you need help in Chemistry?" I ask.

"Yeah." He says.

"Ok, well let's start there." I say. I then grab his book and look through some of his notes. "Ok, so what is the chemicals combined to make water?"

"Well, it's H2O, and H is hydrogen and O is oxygen so I'm guessing that it is two molecules of hydrogen and one molecule of oxygen." He says.

"Good job!" I say. "Now let's move on to something harder." We then continue studying and after a while, I think that he has mastered chemistry pretty well.

"Thank you so much." He says.

"It's no problem." I say. "I like to help people, especially my boyfriend."

"I appreciate it, especially when it's my beautiful girlfriend helping out." He says. I just smile and snuggle up to him."Do you want to take a break?"

"I guess so." I say. "We've done a lot today."

"Ok, how about a movie?" He asks.

"Ok, but this time it's my pick." I say.

"Ok, but no sappy chick flick." He says.

"I won't, don't worry." I say. "Come on." We then go down to the movie room and put on a movie.

"You want to know something?" He asks.

"Sure." I say. "You are the best girlfriend that anyone could ever ask for." He says. I just blush.

"Thank you, and you're are the best boyfriend, in the entire world." I say. After I say that, all of my brothers walk into the room.

"Hey, I didn't realize that anyone was down here." Zach says. "Hey Chris."

"Hey guys." Chris says.

"I'm sorry that they barged in like that." I say.

"It's cool." He says.

"We were about to play some video games, do you want to join us?" Caleb asks.

"I wouldn't mind, Jess do you want to?" Chris asks.

"You can, but I'm going to go upstairs and study some more." I say.

"Ok." Chris says. I then walk off and go on upstairs. When Iget up there, I see my parents they look so in love and I think that it is really cute. I then grab one of my books off of the table and go to my room and start studying for my english exam. A little while later, I hear a knock on my door. I then see my mom walk in.

"Hey, sweetie, is something wrong?" She asks.

"No, I'm fine." I say quickly without looking up.

"I know you well enough to know that some thing is going on." She says. "Now you can either tell me, or I'll end up figuring it out anyhow."

"I'm just stressed out with school." I say.

"There's no reason to be, it's your senior year, you should be having fun and making memories, not being stressed out because of exams." She says.

"Yeah, but I feel like it's the only thing that I'm good at." I say.

"Honey, you are good at so many things." She says. "You are an excellent student, you are great at basketball, and I'm sure that there are other things out there that you are incredible at, but being stressed out all the time isn't going to help anything."

"But, you were a super genius, I feel sometimes like I have to live up to that." I say.

"Sweetie, you are so smart, you far surpass me, and there is no reason to compare yourself to anyone." She says. "You are amazing exactly the way you are. Do you think that Chris would like you if you were anything but the way that you are now?"

"I guess not, and all day he was trying to get me to chill." I say.

"See, even he knew that you needed to just relax, you have absolutely nothing to worry about." She says.

"And besides your mom and I have you back one hundred percent." Dad says.

"How long have you been standing there?" I ask.

"Pretty much the whole time." He says. He then walks in and sits down beside my mom on my bed. "I'm sorry if I may have put any unnecessary pressure on you, if I did it wasn't something that I intended on doing. There is no reason for you to be all stressed, I know that midterms are important, but that's not going to keep you out of Stanford if that's what you are worried about."

"I guess that you're right." I say.

"He is, trust me, before I met your dad I felt like I always had to put all of this pressure on myself, but the thing is all you have to be is yourself, that's really all that matters. And I'll be honest whether you make A's or C's we'll still love you." My mom says.

"Yeah, even though we know that you are more than capable of making A's." Dad says.

"The point is, just do your best, and we will be proud of you no matter what." She says.

"Thanks, I needed to hear that." I say. I then give both of my parents a hug.

"You're welcome." My mom says.

"And don't feel like you're bugging us if something is on your mind, that's what we are here for." He says.

"I'll keep that in mind." I say. We then carry on some small talk for a while. After a while it is beginning to get late.

"Jess, you probably should be going to bed." Dad says.

"Dad, it's only ten o'clock, I'm not a little kid." I say.

"Well, let me put it this way, I'm tired." Dad says.

"Well, then go onto bed." I say. "I'm not really that tired."

"Jess, maybe this is why you're stressed out, you're going to bed late and getting up early." He says.

"Were you a night owl when you were my age?" I ask.

"Yeah." He says. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Dad, I'm like how you were when you were in high school." I say. "So hopefully you'll understand."

"I guess that I do, but don't let your brothers know that I'm letting you stay up as late as you want." He says.

"Deal." I say. "Besides, all I'm going to do is read anyhow."

"Ok, well if you wake up in the morning cranky and exhausted, then your mom and I will have to set a time for you to go to bed." He says.

"Ok." I say. "Good night, dad."

"Good night, sweetheart." He says. He then leaves my room. I then change my clothes and climb into bed and start reading a book. Eventually, I drift off to sleep. A couple of hours later, I wake up. I then stare at my phone and see that it is two o'clock in the morning. I sigh, and try to fall back asleep, but it is to no avail. I finally get up and go downstairs and get a glass of water thinking that maybe that will help me sleep. After some time, I go back to my room and look at my phone and see that I have a text from Chris that says: 'Sorry, I ditched you to hang out with your brothers.' I then send back: 'It's alright, they enjoy spending time with you.' I then roll over in my bed and eventually I finally fall asleep. It feels great to finally be able to sleep. But before I realize it, my alarm goes off with the obnoxious noises that it makes on a daily basis. I then hit the button to turn off the repulsive noise. I then groan and get out of bed. I then start getting ready for school. I quickly put on some makeup and then pull my naturally curly hair back with bobby pins. I then put on a pair of red skinny jeans paired with a white tank top and a long sleeved black cardigan. I then put on a pair of black Toms, and I finish off my outfit with a pair of silver earrings and a necklace with my initials on it. I then put on some lip gloss and I am ready to go. I then go downstairs and see my brothers and dad sitting in the kitchen eating breakfast. "Where's mom?" I ask.  
"She had to go into work early." Dad says.

"Oh, ok." I say as I get a cup of coffee. "Dad, do you want anymore coffee?"

"I think that I'm good right now, but thank you though." He says.

"You're welcome." I say. I then sit down beside Zane. "So did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, sort of." He says. "I didn't have any bad dreams last night."

"That's good." I say. "See I told you."

"And you're right." He says. "Did you sleep well?"

"Kind of." I say. "I'm a light sleeper though anyhow."

"Oh." Zane says. We then continue talking for a while, and then after a little bit, I head onto school. I just hope that today doesn't end up stressing me out as much as yesterday did, and besides today is the start of my exams. Fingers crossed that I am ready for them! When I walk into the school, I go straight to my first period class and wait patiently for Mrs. Faulkner, my English teacher to pass out the exam. When I first glance at it, it looks really hard, but I pace myself through it.  
I take it one question at a time, and it ends up not being really all that bad. In fact, it is almost easy, and usually Mrs. Faulkner's tests are far from easy. After a little while, I make it to the last page of the test, it is an essay question. I then start writing to answer the question that is posed, after I have written a page and a half, I look back at it, and then turn my test in. The rest of the day goes by quickly and before I know it, it is time for basketball practice. I am glad that I had practice today, it gives me time to clear my head and help me to feel better. In reality, I guess that there is no reason for me to stress more than is absolutely necessary, because it just is not worth it in the long run.


	16. Chapter 16

_Hey guys, so I finished this chapter a little bit earlier than I had anticipated and I thought that I would go ahead and share it with you all! I hope that you enjoy!_

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**Chapter Sixteen:**

The week of tests flew by so fast, thank goodness. I thought I was going to go insane from all the stress and pressure. I even did well on my exams too, I guess all that studying paid off in the long run, and I think that Chris did well too. After midterms are over, I am so glad. Fortunately, I get out of school for almost three weeks-thank goodness-, which I think is great, of course. It is just a couple of days until Christmas, and also not too far away from my eighteenth birthday, which I am super excited about. I think that it is going to be great! Especially now that I don't have anything stressing me out. I finally now feel like I can breathe a huge sigh of relief. When I walk in the door of my house, I find my mom at home unusually early. I find this quite strange, she usually is not home until almost five and sometimes it is even later than that.  
"I'm surprised to see you home." I say.

"Well, I thought that I would get some Christmas presents wrapped, before anyone got home." She says. "Besides, things were slow at work."

"Do you want any help?" I ask.

"Sure, you can wrap some of Caleb's presents, they are over there." She says as she points to one of the piles that she has labeled. I then start wrapping some of my brother's gifts for her.

"So are you going to find out what the gender of the baby is?" I ask.

"I think so, I have an appointment at four and your dad and I are going to go to it together." She says. I am so excited to find out if I am having a little brother or sister. Not that it really matters any, but I would love to have a little sister. I think that would be so cool.

"Are you going to tell us?" I ask with enthusiasm.

"Probably. We might. get some name suggestions for you guys." She says.

"Well, I will definitely help you out with that." I say.

"I know that you will." She says. "Oh, since you don't have practice today, do you mind picking your brother's up at 4:30 from there practice?"

"I can do that." I say.

"Good, thank you so much." She says. "I don't know what I would do without you." I just smile and help her finish up wrapping some presents for her. After some time has gone by, it is about time for my mom to leave. "Alright, well I'm going to need to get going, I'm meeting your dad at the school."

"Ok, and I won't forget to pick up the boys from school." I say.

"Ok, I'll see you later." She says. She then leaves and heads off to the school. I then finish up what I was doing and clean up the mess. Before I know it, it is time to pick up my brother's from practice. When I get to the school, I walk in and catch the last few minutes of their practice. When they are done, Zane walks over to me. "Hey, did you have fun?" I ask. He then gives me a hug, and he is so sweaty, it is kind of gross.

"Yeah." He says.

"So are you ready to go?" I ask.

"Yeah, but we have to wait on Zach and Caleb." He says.

"I know." I say. "And it might be a bit before Zach is ready to go." I say this as I see him talking to a dark-headed, really pretty girl. They seem to be having a good time together. I think that it is so sweet.

"Yeah, that's Danielle." Zane says.

"Oh, that's the girl he was telling me about." I say.

"Yep, he goes on and on about her." He says. "It is so annoying." I laugh.

"He must really like her." I say with a smile. "If you want to put your stuff in my car, you can it may be a while before we are able to leave."

"Ok, can I have the keys?" He asks.

"Yes, but please don't lock them in my car." I say as I hand the keys to him.

"I won't." He says. He then runs off to get his stuff and takes it to my car. Zach then walks over to me.

"Hey." I say.

"Hey, did you see me talking to that girl?" He asks.

"Yes, Zane told me that, that was Danielle." I say.

"Yeah, well she is the best girl in the entire world." He says.

"Whoa, tiger, don't get ahead of yourself too fast." I say.

"I know, I know." He says. "But I think that I'm in love."

"You don't even know what love is." I say. "You're too young. I barely know what love is."

"Well, I can tell that you and Chris are in love with each other." He says.

"What makes you think that?" I ask.

"It's the way that you both look at each other." He says. "I see it in the way you smile every single time that you think about him, or talk about him."

"I really do like him, but I don't know if I would say that I am in love." I say. "Maybe I could phrase it as, I deeply care about him."

"Well, whatever it is, you both have it." He says.

"And some day you will too, and maybe you'll end up with Danielle." I say. "Who knows."

"Well, I hope to at some point." He says. "I just want to get to know her a little bit better before I ask her to be my girlfriend."

"That's a good idea." I say. "Where's Caleb?"

"Talking to his girlfriend." He says.

"Ok." I say. "Wait, he has a girlfriend, when did this happen?"

"A couple of days ago." He says. "Her name is Bridget, she's a cheerleader."

"Oh, I'm surprised that he didn't tell me." I say. My little brother is growing up I think to myself.

"He probably didn't think about it." He says.

"I guess that you are right." I say.

"I'll see if I can get him to hurry up." He says. He then walks off. Zane then comes back into the gym.

"What took you so long?" I ask.

"I had a bunch of people talking to me." He says.

"Alright, Mr. popular." I say, he then tosses me my keys. "Thank you."

"See, I told you that I wouldn't lock them in the car." He says. I let out a light giggle.

"Good job." I say. "Now, if we could get out of here that would be awesome."

"We could just leave them." Zane says.

"I wish, I could just leave for a second and go get coffee and then come back and I bet that they still wouldn't be ready." I say.

"You're probably right." He says. My grandfather then walks over to us.

"Jess, I'm surprised to see you here." He asks. He coaches my brother's basketball team.

"I was coming by to pick up Zane, Caleb, and Zach." I say.

"I could've have brought them home for you." He says.

"It's fine, I just wish that Zach and Caleb would hurry up." I say. "I'm tired and want to get home."

"I understand that one." He says. "Oh, it looks like they are ready to go."

"Good." I say as I see them both walking this way. "It was nice seeing you."

"You too." He says. He then walks off.

"Let's go." I say. "Because I'm super tired." We then all go to my car and head home. "So when were you planning on telling me that you have a girlfriend?"

"I don't know." Caleb says. "Who told you?"

"Zach." I say.

"Of course he would blab it." Caleb says.

"Sorry, I didn't know that you wanted to keep it a secret." Zach says.

"It's fine." He says.

"So, how about you tell me about her." I say.

"Well, her name is Bridget, and she is a cheerleader." He starts with. "She is blonde and is about 5'2 with blue eyes. She is also pretty smart, and so sweet."

"She seems like a great girl." I say.

"She really is." He says. "I think that you would like her."

"Well, maybe at some point I will get to meet her." I say.

"I hope so." He says. I then pull into our driveway and park my car in the garage.

"Ok, so do ya'll have homework?" I ask.

"No, it's break, what teacher would give us homework." Caleb says.

"Ok, I was just checking." I say. "Good grief, you make it seem like I asked the dumbest question in the world."

"Well, you kind of did." He says.

"Ok, I'm sorry." I say.

"So do you know what mom and dad got us for Christmas?" Caleb asks.

"No." I say. "And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you anyhow. It ruins the surprise."

"Oh, you're no fun." He says.

"Well, you only have four days until you'll find out what you got." I say.

"Actually, if you want to get technical it is three days until Christmas." He says.

"Ok, whatever." I say. I then go upstairs to my room, and start reorganizing some of my stuff. I like to, from time to time to get rid of stuff and give it to charity, especially around this time of year, because I know that I will get more stuff then I have room for. I then grab a box from the top of my closet and put a couple of items into it. I then go through some of my clothes and pull out a few things that I either don't wear or can't wear anymore. After a while, I have a box full of things that I can donate to a thrift store nearby. I then take out a sharpie and write on it in big letters donations. I then put the box down and keep looking around for anything else. When I am done, I bring the box downstairs and put it in my car so that I can take it later to a thrift store. I then come back inside and see my parents cars pulling into the driveway simultaneously. I wonder if they will tell us what the gender of our new sibling will be, I secretly hope that it is a girl, but I am not going to complain if it is yet again, another boy. I guess that would be good for the boys, especially since I will be going away to college. I guess really in the grand scheme of things it really will not matter anyways. I can always be hopeful though!

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**_So I know that you all want to know the gender of the baby. Well...you will be able to find out in the next chapter! I'm curious what your thoughts are. Until next time! And as always even though I totally wish I owned high school musical, I don't._**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17:**

When mom and dad finally walk in the door, I am excited to find out if I am going to get a little sister, or yet another little brother. I really want to know, but I don't want to be super annoying, if I ask, but at the same time, I really want to ask. What should I do? Should I ask? Or should I let them tell me themselves? I don't know what to do, I am so conflicted, and it is driving me crazy! Zane then walks into the room.  
"So, mom did you find out what the baby is going to be?" He asks.

"Yes." She replies.

"Are you going to tell us?" He asks.

"Hold your horses, Zane, we are going to tell all of you soon." Dad says. "I promise."

"Ok, I just hope that it is a boy." He says. He then walks off to another room. I think that it is funny that we all have different ideas. Zane and Caleb are on the same page, and then Zach and I both want a little sister. I know why I do, but I am kind of surprised that he does as well. I guess that eventually, we will all know, and it is sort of exciting, but I hate anticipation, it annoys me so much.

"Thank you again for picking up your brothers, Jessica." Mom says.

"It was no problem, I didn't have anything else to do anyhow." I say.

"By the way, we have practice in the morning." Dad says.

"Dad, seriously." I say. "How early?"

"Ten o'clock." He says. "I knew better than to make the practice super early on the first day of break."

"Good, is it mandatory?" I ask.

"Yes." He says. "I have the practice schedule, if you want to look at it, we still have games even though we are on break, so I didn't want us to not practice at all."

"I figured that you would do that to us." I say. "But I understand why you did it."

"Good, I just hope that the other girls won't be mad at me." He says.

"I don't think that they will." I say. "And if they are, then they will just have to get over it."

"I agree with you on that." He says. I then glance at the practice schedule.

"Thank you for not putting practice on my birthday." I say.

"I had considered having practice that day, but with it being New Year's Eve, I had a feeling that no one would show up anyhow." He says.

"You're probably right." I say. "Plus it is a holiday."

"True." He says.

"Well, I think that I'm going to practice some outside, dad do you want to join me?" I ask.

"Not right this second." He says. "But go ahead if you want to."

"Ok." I say. I then go upstairs and change my clothes, when I am ready I go outside and start shooting around. I am making shots that normally I have a hard time making. Then out of the corner of my eye I see someone. I then turn aroud, thinking it is probably dad, and I look and see that it is Chris. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

" I thought that I would come over and hang out for a little while, if that's alright." He says.

"Yeah." I say. I then toss him the basketball. He then goes in for a layup and makes it.

"So, do you have practice tomorrow?" He asks.

"Yeah, at ten." I say.

"Well, that's better than my team, we have an eight o'clock practice." He says.

"Oh, so when your team finishes, my team will be practicing." I say.

"Yeah, pretty much." He says.

"So how did you do on exams?" I ask.

"Pretty good, but probably not as good as you did." He says. He then passes me the basketball and I make a three pointer. "See, you are even better at basketball than me."

"That isn't true." I say.

"If you say so." He says. He then gets the ball from me, and attempts to make a three pointer, and it is nothing but net.

"See, you made it too." I say.

"I know." He says. "So, do you want to go see a movie or something?"

"Not, really, I'm super tired right now, and kind of want to stay at home." I say. "But I'm sure that it would be fine, if you wanted to hang out here for a little while."

"Ok, do you want to play a one on one?" He asks.

"Sure, and please don't go easy on me." I say. "My brother's do that all the time starting out, and I think that they are stupid for doing it."

"They are just being gentlemen, but if you don't want me to go easy on you, which I was considering doing, I won't." He says.

"Thank you." I say. We then start the game, I get the ball first. I go in for a layup and I am blocked by Chris, I still go in for the layup, but he steals the ball in midair and dribbles down the court. I then steal the ball from him and go back to my side, and make a three pointer. After a while the score is tied at seventeen to seventeen.

"Alright, how about the first one to get twenty points wins?" He asks.

"Ok, that sounds like a plan to me." I say with a smile. He then goes in for a shot and misses, I catch the rebound and go in for a layup, but the ball is intercepted before it has a chance to get in. It goes back and forth like this for a while, and then finally. Chris scores. Now the score is down to seventeen to nineteen. If I can make a three pointer, I would win the game, but if Chris scores he will win. At the moment,  
I have the ball. I then steadily dribble down the court. I then stop at the three pointer line and go in for a three pointer. My form is great and everything looks perfect. I am afraid that Chris is going to steal it, especially since he has height on his side, whereas me height only helps me out when I am playing other girls. I then see the ball go through the net, and I win.  
"Good job." Chris says.

"Thank you, I'm sorry that I beat you." I say.

"Oh, it's fine, it was just for fun anyhow." He says. "And for the record, I didn't go easy on you."

"Good, because you would have been lying to me otherwise." I say. "And don't worry, no one has to know that I beat you."

"It's fine, you are tough competition." He says.

"That's what my brothers always tell me." I say.

"Well, maybe one day I'll you playing on TV." He says. I just laugh and say "Yeah right."

"Why not, you are great." He says.

"Because, I don't have any desire to play professionally." I say. "I don't want the media watching my every move."

"I see what you're saying." He says.

"What about you, are you going to do the NBA route?" I ask.

"I don't know, yet." He says. "My dad would want me too, but I think that I should be able to make my own decisions."

"Yeah." I say. "Well, how about we go inside, it's beginning to get cold out here."

"Ok." He says. We then walk into the house. I then see my brother's playing video games, and no sign of mom and dad. I then walk over to Zane.

"Zane, where's mom and dad?" I ask.

"They had to run a couple of errands." He says.

"Ok." I say. I then go into the kitchen and start pulling out baking supplies.

"What are you doing?" Chris asks.

"I thought that I would attempt at baking." I say.

"Well, you can't do any better than that cake, it was awesome." He says.

"Thank you." I say. "I think that I am going to bake some cookies. Do you want to help?"

"If by helping you mean being an official taste tester than yes." He says.

"I'll let you have some." I say.

"What type are you going to make?" He asks.

"Chocolate chip." I say as I scroll through my phone. "I found a recipe on line, and I wanted to try it out."

"Well, I'm definitely am going to stay here until they are ready." He says.

"Ok, well it might be a while, if I had some help it would make the time shorter." I say insinuating that I want him to help.

"Fine." He says. "What can I do to help?" I then instruct him in what I want him to do. After some time, we have one batch done and I put it into the oven and set a timer.

"Ok, so do you want to help make some more?" I ask.

"Sure." He says. "I just hope that they actually turn out alright."

"They should, we followed the recipe exactly." I say.

"True." He says. "I thought that this was going to be totally lame, and I don't know if it is because I was doing it with you, or what it was, but it is actually kind of fun."

"I know." I say. "I used to hate being in a kitchen, but now, I at least enjoy baking."

"Well, you are really good at it." He says. "And I find it ironic that you won't eat any sweet stuff that you make."

"I might try to eat one of these." I say.

"Good." He says. "You need to know if they are actually any count."

"I know, but that's what you are for." I say.

"So I'm your guinea pig?" He asks.

"Yes." I say with a laugh.

"And I'm actually alright with that." He says. We then finish up the second batch and put it into the oven, then not too much later the timer goes off for the first batch and I take them out and let them cool.  
Chris tries to get one, and I give him a look. "What, I thought that they were done."

"They are, but you have to wait for them to cool off." I say. "Otherwise they will be gooey, and fall apart."

"Ok, how long do I have to wait?" He asks.

"Just a little bit." I say. A period of time goes by, and the other batch is done. I then take it out.

"Ok, now can I try one?" He asks.

"Yes." I say. He then gets one and take a bite out of it. "Is is any count?"

"It is so good." He says. "Especially for a chocolate chip cookie. Do you want one?"

"Could I just have a bite of yours?" I ask.

"Yeah." He says. He then breaks off some of his and puts it into my mouth.

"They are pretty good." I say.

"See, now you're probably going to want a whole one." He says.

"No, I'm good." I say. "I'm going to see if my brother's want one."

"No, tell them that they are awful." He says.

"Chris, there are plenty." I say.

"I know." He says.

"And I'm sure that I will make you some more." I say.

"Ok." He says. "I'll tell them." He then walks off, and a second later, all of my brother's come back into the kitchen with Chris.

"Where are the cookies that Chris was telling us about?" Zane asks.

"Right here." I say as I put the cookies that are cooled onto a plate

. "These look really good." Caleb says. He then takes one and so does Zane and Zach.

"So what do you guys think?" I ask.

"These are so good." Zane says.

"Yeah." Caleb says. "Have you thought about baking for a living?"

"You really could do very well." Zach adds.

"But I don't want to do it as a job, then I wouldn't enjoy it." I say. "That doesn't make it any fun."

"True." Zach says. "But seriously, these are so good. Are they from scratch?"

"Yes." I say. "And Chris helped."

"Yeah, he probably just helped taste them." Caleb says.

"No, actually, I helped her make them." Chris says.

"I'm impressed." Caleb says.

"She did most of the work, I was more of the supervisor." He says.

"I can see that." Caleb says. "Besides, Jessica is a control freak." Zach says.

"I am not." I say.

"Babe, I love you, but you kind of are." Chris says. "But don't worry, I don't find it annoying."

"Ok, good." I say. "I guess that I am. I don't mean to be though."All of them just look at me. "What? I can't help it that I know how I want things done."

"Yeah." Caleb says. "And sometimes you tend to micromanage things."

"But it's alright." Chris says. "The world needs people like you otherwise the world would be one messed up place."

"True." I say. "But I am so sorry guys. I don't mean to do that."

"It's alright." Zach says. Some time goes by and then mom and dad come back home. They have some bags in there hands, and I wonder what is in them, but I decide to not be nosy, like I always am. A little time goes by, and Chris eventually goes home, and I go upstairs to my room and start wrapping some Christmas presents that I had gotten for people. After a little bit, I start on Chris' Christmas present.

I hope that he likes it, I guess that in a couple of days, I will know. I then hear a knock on my door, and Zach walks into the room. "Mom and dad said that they wanted you to come downstairs."

"Ok, do you know what for?" I ask.

"Not sure." He says. We then walk downstairs and I take a seat

"Ok, so I'm guessing that you all want to know what we called you down here for?" Dad asks. "Well, we have some news that we want to share with you all."

"So, as you all know we went to the doctor today to find out what the gender of your new sibling will be, and I wanted to know what your speculations are." Mom says.

"Girl." Zane says.

"Girl." I say.

"Boy." Caleb says.

"Girl." Zach says.

"Ok, so one of you will obviously be right." Dad says.

"We're having a boy." Mom says. Caleb looks happy that he was right.

"And a girl." Dad says.

"Wait, I'm confused." Zane says.

"They're having twins." Zach says. "Right?"

"Yes, we were just as surprised as you all are." Mom says.

"That's crazy." I say. "And I'm getting a little sister, that is so awesome!"

"We want all of you to have a say in the names of your siblings, so at some point before the baby is born, if you want to you can write down a name that you would like for your sibling to have." Dad says.

"We're not guaranteeing that the names you all come up with will be the name of your sibling, but it will be helpful." Mom says.

"Ok, can I go now?" Caleb asks.

"Yeah." Dad then walks off. I can tell that something is up, but I'm not going to confront him right now about it, I'll let him come to me first. We all then continue to talk for a while. I think that mom and dad are more excited than anyone else is, to be honest I wasn't expecting this, I thought it would probably be a boy, even though I wanted a sister so badly. It is so exciting, I can barely contain my excitement.

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**Ok, so what did you guys think? I would love to hear. Also if you have any name suggestions, just let me know. I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter :) **


	18. Chapter 18

_I know that it is super early for Christmas, but I thought that this story needed a Christmas chapter! Anyhow, I hope that you enjoy! Please R&amp;R if you want to, that would awesome! _

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_**Chapter Eighteen:**_

The next couple of days have flown by. I still can't help but smile, knowing that I am getting the little sister that I have always wanted. It is almost as if Christmas came three days early. Which makes this year even better for me! It makes me smile just thinking about it. I can barely contain my happiness! I even fall asleep at night with a smile on my face at night. I am then awakened from my sleep by Zane, barging into my room.

"Come on, Jess." He says. "It's Christmas." He is way too hyper considering how early it is.

"And it's five in the morning." I say as I roll over and try to go back to sleep. I hate getting up really early. Especially over break, which is the only time that I really have to be able to relax, but I'm trying not to be a grouch.

"Well, let's get a move on! Come on, don't be lazy, we have presents to open!." He says with excitement.

"No, let's wait until ten." I say. "I'm tired."

"Stop being a scrooge." He says.

"Then stop, acting like a five year old." I say. I really don't see why he is so excited about getting presents. I mean, come on, I could understand if he was little, but he's almost thirteen.

"Well, I can't help it, I'm excited about seeing what I got for Christmas." He says.

"Well, is anyone else up?" I ask sleepily. "Because if not, then you should get them up first."

"Yeah, you're the only one not up yet." He says.

"Fine." I say. I am aggravated because of his persistence. I find it quite annoying. I then get up out of my bed and go downstairs with him. Sometimes, I think that he is still a little kid. This is especially true on days like Christmas. I guess that for me, all of the excitement isn't as much.  
I like presents-don't get me wrong- but I would rather give to other people, than to receive a bunch of things that I really do not need. When I get downstairs, I see that dad had made a fire, and I smell fresh coffee brewing.

"I thought that since you had to get up early that you would want some coffee." Dad says.

"Thank you, that was so sweet of you." I say. I then walk off and pour myself a cup. When I come back we start opening up presents. I even take a few pictures of my family. We always seem to have a good time together. After a little bit we are all done and I start cleaning up wrapping paper, because some people left it all over the floor, and my OCD is kicking in. I then take my presents into my room and organize my stuff. I then go back downstairs.

"So what are the plans for today?" I ask my dad.

"Well, in a couple of hours we are going to my parents house to spend some time with them, and that is pretty much all that we are doing." He says.

"Ok." I say. "By the way thank you for the presents." I then give him a hug.

"You're welcome." He says. "And thank you for your gift."

"You're welcome." I say. "Where's mom?"

"She went back to sleep." He says.

"I'm surprised you didn't." I say.

"I have a hard time sleeping once I've been up for a while." He says.

"Me too." I say. "But apparently no one else in the house is that way."

"I guess that you're right." He says. "Do you want some more coffee?"

"Yeah, that would be awesome!" I say. He then gets up and refills my cup and his and brings it over to me."Thank you."

"No problem." He says. We then continue to talk for a little while, and then after some time I go upstairs to my room to get ready. I pull my hair into a loose ponytail and I put on a red and black striped sweater with a pair of skinny jeans and some black Toms. I then put on some eye makeup, and then put on some simple jewelry. After a little bit, we are all in the car and head over to my grandparents house, which is just a short ride. When we get there, I help my parents unload the car and we bring in some stuff. We then all mingle for a little bit. Then after a little bit my mom and I go into the kitchen and help my grandma finish up with the food.

"So, I've heard that you are dating Chris." My grandma says.

"Yeah." I say with a smile on my face.

"That's exciting." She says. "So how did it happen?"

"Well, I really don't remember." I say. "It just, I don't know, kind of happened. It's so cool to be dating my best friend."

"That is so sweet." She says.

"It really is, it almost reminds me of when Troy and I were dating." My mom says.

"I know, and you too were and still are perfect for each other, and so are Jessica and Chris." She says.

"Thanks, grandma." I say. "I just hope that you are right."

"I hope so too." She says. "Young love is so sweet." I just smile. We then continue getting things together and after a little while, everything is ready. We then all eat together as a family. It is nice to all be together. Normally, dad isn't able to be here the whole day. He seemed to always have a game or some event that he had to go to. I am so happy for us to all be together. Once we are done eating we go into the family room, and open up some presents from our grandparents. We get so much stuff, and it is way more than I really need, but I am very appreciative of it. While I am opening up my gifts there is a knock on the door. My grandfather then goes to answer it, and comes back into the room.

"I think that there's someone here to see you, Jessica." He says. I then politely walk off and go to the door. I then see Chris standing there. I walk out onto the porch.

"Hey, I wasn't expecting to see you." I say. I then give him a hug.

"Well, I knew that you were going to be here, so I thought that I would surprise you." He says.

"Well. it was a sweet surprise." I say. "Do you want to come inside."

"I don't want to interrupt your Christmas." He says.

"You're practically family." I say.

"I know, but I would rather just be with you, even if it is for a short time." He says.

"Ok." I say with a smile. He then pulls out a neatly wrapped box out of his jacket pocket. He then hands it to me. "Chris, you didn't have to do anything."

"I know, I wanted to." He says.

"Well, I have something for you too." I say. I then walk inside for a second and come back out with a neatly wrapped gift as well. "Merry Christmas."

"Jess-" He says.

"I know, I wanted to." I say. "You mean so much to me."

"You mean a lot to me as well." He says. "Now go on and open your gift."

"Ok. If you insist." I say. I then open up the gift. "Did you wrap this yourself?"

"I wish that I could say yes, but I had to get a little help." He says. "I'm not the best at wrapping."

"It's fine." I say. I then open up the box. Inside is a beautiful necklace. It is silver with a star. "This is beautiful."

"When I saw it, it made me think of you." He says. "Remember when we were little and we looked at the stars in the sky on clear summer nights?"

"Yeah." I say. "I didn't think that you remembered that."

"Well, now every time I look at the stars, I see you." He says. "You are the brightest star out in the galaxy. Everytime I see you, you light up a room. Almost like how the stars light up the sky, so that's why I got you this necklace. I know, it probably sounds cheesy, it sounded much better in my head."

"No, I think that, that's the sweetest thing that anyone has ever said to me." I say. I then give him a kiss.

"Really, you're sure that you like it?" He asks.

"Yes." I say. "Could you put it on me?"

"Sure, I would love to." He says. He then puts the necklace on for me.

"Thank you." I say. "Now, open yours."

"Ok." He says. He then starts unwrapping the gift.

"It's not nearly as sweet as your gift." I say.

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure that I will love it regardless of what it is." He says. He then finishes unwrapping it. He then opens the box and sees a watch. I had a hard time finding something for him, and I know that he went over and beyond what I did, but I tried anyhow.  
"Jess, I like this a lot. I was just about to have to go get one of these."

"Really?" I ask.

"Yeah." He says. He then puts it on.

"I'm sorry that I am not really all that romantic." I say.

"You're fine." He says. "I really do appreciate the gift."

"I'm glad." I say with a smile. "I knew that you had lost yours at one of the away games, so I thought that you could use a new one."

"And now every time I look to see what time it is, I can think of you." He says.

"True." I say. "I didn't even think of that. You are more romantic than I am."

"It's alright, some people have more of it than others." He says. "But I like that you're not overly romantic, because it makes moments like this, just a little sweeter."

"Very true." I say. "So are you sure that you don't want to come inside?"

"No, I probably need to get home." He says. "My aunt is coming over, and even though her kids are so annoying, my mom said that she wanted me to be there."

"I'm sorry." I say. "Well, maybe they won't be too bad."

"I hope not." He says.

"So, I guess I'll see you later?" I ask.

"Yeah." He says. He then walks off to his car. When he is halfway there he comes back and kisses me. When we release from the kiss, he walks off. He is still facing me though, and almost trips down the short flight of steps. I smile, and he shrugs it off like nothing even happened. I wave to him and he waves back. I then go inside once he safely gets back into his car. I smile as I walk inside the house. I feel so happy. We then continue to hang out for a while. After a few hours of watching movies, talking, and just enjoying each others company, we go back to our house. I can't help but wonder what Chris is doing right now. I just hope that his cousins aren't driving him crazy right now. I really do feel bad for him. Too bad we couldn't spend Christmas together all day long, but at least we had a brief moment together, just the two of us. I really enjoy that. He makes me feel so special. He makes me feel like a princess and he is my prince charming. He even makes my heart smile, when I think about him. I guess that you could say that I'm in love or something like that. He's the best guy in the entire world, and I'm glad that he is mine.

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**_Also check out the poll on my profile, if you would like to have some input on the baby names. Or if you have another suggestion, you can just PM me your ideas. I enjoy hearing from you all!_**


	19. Chapter 19

_Hey readers, I got done with this chapter a little earlier than I had anticipated so, I thought that I would go ahead and post it early! I hope that you all enjoy! _

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**Chapter Nineteen:**

The next few days go by super fast. I am excited knowing that I will be eighteen in just a few short days! I can't wait. I then walk downstairs to where my parents are at.

"Jess, we have a surprise for you." My mom says.

"My birthday isn't until Friday." I say.

"We know, but it's just a part of your birthday." Dad says. He then hands me an envelope. I then open it up and see a plane ticket. I then look at it a little closer and it is to Denver Colorado.

"I'm going to Denver?" I ask.

"Correction, we all are." Dad says. "We thought that we could ring in the New Year and your birthday by skiing or snowboarding."

"That sounds awesome." I say.

"Yeah, and the resort we are going to has a lot of memories for me and your father." She says. "It is where we first met."

"How romantic." I say.

"Well, we need to get leaving so that we can make our plane." He says.

"I need to pack though." I say.

"No, I already took care of it, and the bags are already in the car." Mom says.

"Ok, well I'm going to quickly grab a couple of things for the plane." I say.

"Alright, just hurry up." Dad says. I then head upstairs, and get a few things together in my bag. I then call Chris.

"Hey." He says.

"Hey, I just wanted to let you know that my family is going to Denver." I say.

"That sounds like fun." He says.

"Yeah, but the thing is we are about to leave." I say.

"That's fine, when you get back we can celebrate your birthday just the two of us." He says.

"I would like that." I say. "Too bad you can't go with us."

"It would be difficult to get a plane ticket at such late notice." He says.

"I understand." I say. "Well, I need to go, but I'll either text or call you when our plane lands."

"Alright, sounds good." He says. "Happy early birthday."

"Thank you." I say. "Bye."

"Bye." He says. I then hang up and grab my bag and close my room door. We all in then pile into the car and head to the airport. When we get there we have to wait for a little bit before we can board the plane, but it isn't a long time. Within thirty minutes of checking in and getting our lugguage weighed we are able to board the plane to take off. I'm excited to see the resort. Especially since my parents talk about it all the time, and we've been to ski resorts, but not this one. I'm super excited I think that it will be cool for my parents to be back at the place where they first met. I think that the story is so romantic, even though my brothers think that it is weird. I guess that in a way I am the sentimental one. Or it could just be the fact that I'm a girl, I don't know. After a bit, the plane lands and we get off the plane and go to find our luggage. Once we have our luggage we walk over to the parking lot and take a bus to the ski resort. When we get there, I look around at the place.  
It is really a nice little place, and it is kind of cute. I am really excited to be able to do something different for my birthday. It will be really fun as well.

"So what do you guys think?" My dad asks as we walk into the lobby.

"I think that this place is awesome!" Zach says.

"Yeah." I say. "I think that we are going to have a great time."

"When are we going to go snowboarding?" Caleb asks.

"Soon, we have to check in first." Dad says. He then walks off to get the keys to our room.

"There is also a bunch of things to do just in the lodge itself." My mom says.

"On the ride over here, I looked up the lodge and saw all the cool activities that there are to do." I say.

"They all sound awesome." Zane says.

"I'm glad that you guys are happy." Mom says.

"I'm going to go call Chris really fast to tell him that we got here safely." I say.

"Ok, but make it quick." Mom says.

"I will." I say. I then walk off a little ways so that I can have a bit of privacy. "Hey, Chris."

"Hey." He says. "We just got to Colorado." I say.

"That's awesome." He says. "I bet that you can't wait to hit the slopes."

"I'm really excited, but I know that I'm going to miss you." I say. "Especially on my birthday, I won't have my boyfriend/ best friend to ring in the New Year with."

"Well, I have a surprise for you, turn around." He says.

"Huh?" I ask.

"Just turn around." He says. I then turn around and see Chris standing there. I then give him a hug.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were coming?" I ask.

"Well, I'm not the only one that is here." He says. I then see Chris' family, along with all of my parents friends as well.

"Wow this is awesome!" I say. "How did you all keep it a secret? Especially you, Chris?"

"It was hard believe me." Chris says. "I wanted to tell you, but my mom would have killed me."

"It's great that you all were able to come." I say.

"Ok, well how about we go check into our room and then hit the slopes." My dad says.

"Ok." I say. I then go to grab my bags and Chris gets them for me. "I can take them."

"I want to." He says.

"Ok, thank you for being such a gentlemen." I say with a smile.

"It was the way I was raised." He says. We then get into the elevator and head to my room.

"So how long have you known about this trip?" I ask.

"Since your dads birthday." He says.

"I'm surprised you were able to keep a secret that long." I say.

"Well, let's just say I have a good amount of will power to keep something I knew would make you super happy." He says. "Your face was priceless when you saw me."

"I can imagine that it was." I say. My dad then opens the door of the room, and it looks really nice. I am more excited about the hitting the slopes soon, but at least the room is pretty nice. "So where are you staying?"

"My room is right across from here." He says.

"That's cool, so is everyone else staying nearby?" I ask.

"I think so, but I'm not really sure." He says.

"Well, I'm going to go change and I was thinking that we could hit the slopes." I say.

"Ok, I need to change too." He says.

"Ok, let's meet in the hallway in about five minutes." I say.

"Ok, sounds good to me." He says. He then goes off to his room and I start going through my clothes and find some clothes to put on. Once I am ready we meet up like we said we would, and then my brother's decide to join us.  
"So which do you want to do?" I ask.

"I don't know, what about you?" He asks.

"It doesn't matter." I say. "I'm better at skiing, but I would like to snowboard."

"Ok, let's snowboard then." He says. "Is that cool you guys?" He asks my brothers.

"Yeah, that sounds awesome." Caleb says.

"Well, then let's go." Chris says. We then leave the resort and head out to the slopes. We have to get our rentals, which had already been reserved and taken care of, we then go over to the lift and wait to get onto it.

"Chris, I'm just warning you I'm not very good at snowboarding." I say as we get onto the lift.

"It's alright, you will be fine, I'll help you out." He says.

"You promise?" I ask.

"Yeah, and it will be fun." He says.

"I just don't want to keep you from having fun." I say.

"Don't worry about that, whenever I'm with you, I always have the best time." He says. I then kiss him on the cheek. We then get off of the lift and start snowboarding. At first, I am terrible at it, but Chris encourages me to try again.

"It's been a long time since I've done this." I say.

"It's fine, don't worry about it." He says. "Later, if you want to we can go skiing."

"Ok, I like that idea, but this is fun too." I say. "If only I could keep from falling on my butt."

"It's fine, by the end of the time we're here, you will be a pro, or at least better than you are now." He says.

"Let's hope so." I say. "I hope that I don't get worse."

"You won't, come on let's try again." He says. Eventually I do get the hang of it, and it actually is kind of fun. I really enjoy hanging out with Chris as well. He is so much fun to be around. I really like that he took the time to help me, and he was so patient, it was super nice. He's such a gentlemen though, so it really didn't surprise me that much. After we are done, we go into the ski lodge and see my parents and their friends all hanging out around the fireplace. We then walk over to where they are and take a seat on one of the couches. I then start to shiver because I am a little bit cold from the snow. Chris then puts his arm around me and I snuggle up next to him, but not to close, since my parents are around, and that would just be awkward. Also, I don't think that my dad would appreciate it that much.

"I'm going to go get some hot chocolate, would you like some?" Chris asks.

"Sure, I would like that." I say. "But you don't have to go get it for me, I can just come with you."

"You're cold, how about you just stay here so that you can keep warm." He says.

"Alright." I say. Chris then walks off. "Jess, you and Chris are so cute together." Sharpay says.

"Thank you." I say.

"It reminds me of when I was in high school." Sharpay says.

"It was quite obvious that they were going to end up together at some point." Martha says.

"How so?" My mom asks.

"You all have been friends with each other, so it was almost inevitable that Chris and Jessica would end up together." Kelsi says.

"I guess that you are right." Mom says. "But we never pushed them together." She says as she looks at Taylor.

"That is very true, it just sort of happened." Taylor says.

"And I think it is so sweet that you both have been friends since you were in diapers, not that you really had a choice though." Sharpay says. "And who knows, maybe in a couple of years we could be attending your wedding." Chris then walks over with two cups of hot chocolate.

"Who's wedding?" He asks as he sits down beside me and hands me my hot chocolate.

"Thank you." I tell him for bringing me the hot chocolate. We both then take a sip of our drink.

"Yours." Sharpay answers in response to his question. He then almost spits out his drink. I then giggle a little bit.

"Who said that we were getting married anytime soon?" He asks.

"No one, I was just being hypothetical." She says.

"Ok, because I don't think that either one of us are ready for something like marriage anytime soon." He says.

"I agree." I say.

"Well, that's good that you both feel that way, you don't want to get married too soon, you might end up like me." Sharpay says.

"But maybe someday you will have your happy ending." I say.

"I don't really believe in happy endings anymore." She says. "At least, I don't think so."

"Well, there's always still hope." I say. "Maybe you will get another chance at love."

"I don't know." She says. "Maybe, but at least something good did come from my marriage to Peyton. I have my son, he's the world to me."

"See, at least you're finding the bright side to the situation." Martha says.

"Yeah, it's something that I have been doing for quite some time." She says. We all then talk for a little while, and eventually we all go onto our rooms and go to bed, so that we can have more fun in the morning.

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**So what did you guys think? I would love to hear from you all. Let me know, also check out the poll 'what should Troy and Gabriella's daughter's name should be' which is located on my profile. I would like for all my readers to have the opportunity in selecting a name! Or if you have any other name ideas you can let me know. As always R&amp;R. I hope you all have a great week! **


	20. Chapter 20

**I'm so sorry that I haven't posted recently. I hope that you have been anticipating this next chapter! I can't wait to hear what you all think of the story! As always please R&amp;R :) **

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**Chapter Twenty: **

This week has been so much fun! I still cannot believe how fast it has gone by. Today is a very special day. It's my eighteenth birthday! I'm so excited for tonight.

"So since it's your birthday, what do you want to do?" Dad asks while we are at breakfast.

"I don't know how about you guys pick something and I'm sure that I will love it." I say. I then take a sip of my coffee.

"Jess, it's your birthday." Zane says.

"I'm well aware." I say. "You all keep on reminding me."

"Jess, I know that you hate being the center of attention, but today is your day." Mom says. "We can do anything that you want to do."

"Ok, I know that I am going to sound boring, but I kind of just want to stay in and watch movies." I say. "You guys don't have to if you don't want to, but I just want to relax today."

"I think that's a good idea." Zach says.

"And besides we need to save all our energy for partying." Caleb says. I roll my eyes.

"Yeah, I've heard that this place has some really good parties." Zane says.

"Yeah, I thought that it was going to be lame, but going to the teen party ended up being the best decision that I ever made." Dad says. He then kisses mom.

"I think that it's so romantic that you guys met on New Year's Eve." I say with a smile.

"It was." Mom says. "And coming back here brings back all of those memories. It brings me back to when I was in high school."

"And to think neither one of you wanted to sing karaoke." I say.

"I know, and I almost got sick, because I was so nervous to be up in front of everyone, but your father made it easier for me." Mom says.

"That's what I was trying to do." Dad says. "It helped to distract people from my singing."

"Troy, you can sing." Mom says.

"So can you." He says.

After a little while, Chris and I go to the movie room and watch a movie together. The movie is pretty good, and I am enjoying getting to spend some alone time with him.

"So are you having a good birthday so far?" He asks.

"Yeah, this has been a great birthday, especially because I get to spend it with you." I say.

"Oh stop, you're going to make me blush." He says. I laugh and we then go back to the movie. Once the movie is over we sit there for a minute.

"So do you want to watch another movie?" I ask.

"It's up to you." He says.

"I think that we should take a break." I say.

"I agree." He says. "Do you want to go get some hot chocolate?"

"Yeah, that sounds awesome." I say. We then leave the room, and go find where there is a hot chocolate bar. We then fix us both a cup. I put whipped cream in mine, and Chris puts whipped cream on his as well and he also puts a little bit of chocolate syrup on his as well. We then walk outside with our hot chocolate and sit down at one of the tables that was set out.

"So are you going to go to the party tonight?" Chris asks.

"Are you talking about the one in the teen lounge?" I ask.

"Yes." He says.

"I might, I don't know." I say. "I'm not big one socializing with new people."

"Come on, it will be fun, and once that clock strikes midnight we can leave if you want to." He says.

"Ok, I guess that I will come." I say.

"Great, now I have a karaoke partner." He says.

"Don't push your luck too much." I say.

"Come on, do something crazy for once in your life." He says. "It's not every day that you turn eighteen."

"I know, I just don't like doing something that could embarrass me." I say.

"So I've noticed." He says. "But you won't be embarrassing yourself. You have an amazing voice."

"Thanks." I say.

"No problem, we just need to get you some self confidence." He says. I then give him a smirk.

"So, I have been thinking and I think that Zeke and Sharpay need to get back together." I say.

"You do, and why's that?" He asks.

"Have you not seen the way they look at each other?" I ask.

"I haven't really noticed." He says.

"Well, Zeke's eyes light up like a Christmas tree when he sees Sharpay, and she always has a smile on her face when she is around him." I say. "And besides that, they both liked each other in high school, but their paths didn't cross again until just recently."

"So, how do you propose we get them together?" He asks.

"Do I have to do everything around here?" I ask.

"Jess-"He says.

"I've got some ideas, but nothing is set in stone." I say.

"Well, I am more than willing to help you." He says. "When is this plan going to go down?"

"Tonight." I say. "There's always this sort of magic in the air on New Year's Eve."

"True, but I thought that we were going to the party tonight." He says.

"We are, I'm just going to make sure that both of them go to the party for the adults, because maybe something will happen." I say.

"Maybe, but you can't guarantee anything." He says.

"I know, but I can be hopeful, can't I?" I say.

"Yeah, and that's about all YOU can do." He says.

"Forgive me for being optimistic." I say.

"This is uncharacteristic of you, and I really like this new you." He says.

"You do?" I ask. "Well don't expect it all the time."

"I am aware that it could just be for a short time, but I'm fine with that." He says.

"I'm glad that you are." I say.

"So, it's starting to get late, we probably should go get ready." He says.

"You're right." I say. "I'll meet you down at the party at eight."

"Ok, sounds like a plan." He says. We then go to our rooms and I walk inside and start getting ready. I think that Chris will love what I have on, or at least I hope so.

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_Next time: The New Year's Eve Party, and maybe a newly formed relationship...until next time! Also, check out the poll on my profile! I want all of my readers to have the chance to help decide the name of Troy and Gabriella's baby. _


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey, so here is the next chapter. Since it took me so long to update I thought that I would give you guys another chapter this week! It follows up where chapter twenty left off! It's time for the new year's eve party. Maybe you'll get to see a little bit of romance, so check it out! **

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**Chapter Twenty-One:**

After a little while, I finally finish up my makeup. I want to look extra special for tonight. Especially since it is my birthday! Once I am finished with my makeup, I find my dress and slip it on. It is a long sleeved silver sequined dress. It is form-fitted, and I little bit short, but not too short. I then pull my hair back loosely into a bun, I then braid back strands of my hair into the bun and finish it off with a little bit of hair spray. I then touch my makeup up, and then slip on a pair of high heels. I then grab a clutch and my earrings and am then ready to go. I then look at the time, and see that it is almost eight o'clock. I then walk out to the living area of our room. I see my brothers standing there, they are already ready, and I also see my dad. They all turn and look at me.

"I'm going to be the first one to say it, you look so beautiful." Zane says.

"Thanks, Zane." I say with a smile.

"I almost don't want you to leave the room." Dad says.

"I wonder what Chris is going to think." I say.

"He's going to think that you look gorgeous." Zach says. "And if he doesn't, well then, he's blind."

"Thanks, Zach." I say with a smile.

"It's the truth and so, therefore I said it." He says with a smile.

"Well, we probably need to get going if we want to make it to the party." Caleb says.

"It doesn't start until eight." I say.

"Oh." Caleb says.

"But you can go on if you want to." I say.

"I'll just wait, until you or someone else is leaving." He says.

"Ok." I say. After a few minutes mom walks into the room. She looks beautiful in her dress.

"Gabi, you look so beautiful." My dad says. My mom smiles.

"Thank you, Troy." She says. "So are you ready to go to the party?"

"Yeah, especially since I'm going with my beautiful wife." He says. He then kisses the top of her head. A minute later they leave the room and head to the adult party that the ski lodge was hosting.

"So are you guys ready to go?" I ask.

"We might as well." Zach says. We then walk out of the room and head down to the teen lounge for the teen party.

When we arrive in the room, I see all of the people and decorations, but Chris is nowhere to be found. I then feel a tap on my shoulder, so I turn around and see Chris standing there. He looks handsome.

"Hey handsome." I say.

"Who are you talking to?" He asks.

"You silly." I say.

"Oh, me, well you look hot." He says. "Not that you don't always, but tonight you look even more beautiful than you have ever looked. For the record, I didn't even think that, that was possible."

"Chris, you are way too good for me." I say.

"I try to be." He says. "So how about we mingle with people, and maybe do a little dancing."

"Ok, I guess that I should." I say. He then takes me by the hand and we go out to the dance floor. For a while, the music is not for slow dancing, so I do my best to dance, but let's just say dancing is not something that I am great at.

After a little bit, we take a break and sit down. "I'm going to get something to drink. Do you want anything?" Chris asks.

"Sure, that would be great." I say.

"Ok, I will be right back." He says. He then walks off. I then look around the room. This party is pretty crowded. A guy then walks towards me.

"Is someone sitting here?" The young man asks.

"Yes, my boyfriend should be coming back any minute." I say.

"I don't see why he left someone so pretty alone." He says. "He's leaving you hanging for some man to dance with."

"Well, I don't dance anyhow." I say. "So they would be out of luck."

"I don't see that being true." He says. "For someone so pretty I think that you could dance very well."

"Well, I can't." I say.

"Come on, how about one dance." He says.

"How about you stop trying to force my girlfriend to dance with you." Chris says. "She made it clear to you that she doesn't want to dance, so if I were you, I would go away."

"Ok, sorry." The guy says. He then walks off.

"Are you alright?" Chris asks.

"Yes, no harm was done." I say. "Thank you for getting him to leave."

"I shouldn't have left you alone." He says.

"It's fine." I say. "I wouldn't have danced with him, he's a creep."

"True." He says. "Here's your drink."

"Thanks." I say. I then take a sip of it. We then talk for a little while. A slow song then plays.

"Can I have this dance, Miss Bolton?" He asks.

"I thought that you would never ask, Mr. Danforth." I say with a smile. We then get up and walk onto the dance floor and we start dancing.

"You know, for someone who says that they can't dance, you are pretty good." Chris says as he twirls me.

"You aren't too bad yourself." I say.

"My mom made me take lessons." He says.

"You never told me that." I say.

"I was embarrassed at the time." He says.

"Well, those lessons sure did pay off." I say. "You even make me look good." After a little bit the song finishes and we walk off of the dance floor.

"Tonight has been fun, don't you think?" He asks.

"Yeah," I say. "Much better than I thought it was going to be."

"I'm glad that I was able to talk you into coming tonight." He says.

"I am too." I say.

"How about we do a little karaoke?" He asks.

"Chris." I say.

"Look, I think that you have such an amazing voice, and you should share it with the world, or at least these people that are here." He says.

"I don't know." I say.

"Come on, it will be fun." He says.

"Fine, one song, and that is it." I say.

"Great." He says. We then go over to where they are doing karaoke. Chris quickly chooses a song. I am so nervous. I hate singing in public; it always tears my nerves up. I do so many things that are out of my comfort zone when I am around Chris. At times he can be so annoying.

When the song finishes, the crowd applauds us and we walk off. "See was that so bad?" He asks.

"Not entirely." I say.

"I'm proud of you." He says.

"For what?" I ask.

"For singing like you did." He says. "That's a major step for you."

"I know." I say. "I'm slowly coming out of my shell."

"Exactly." He says. "And I couldn't be more proud of you."

"Thanks." I say. After a little while, we walk outside. The cold crisp air chills my body a little. Chris then takes his jacket off of himself and puts it on me. "Chris, are you not cold?"

"I don't want my best friend standing out here cold." He says. "I would rather myself be cold rather than see you cold."

"You are so sweet." I say. I then kiss his cheek.

"So did you make any New Year's resolutions?" He asks.

"No, I never do, so I thought to myself why would I do something different this year." I say. "Did you?"

"No, I thought about it, but I couldn't think of anything." He says.

"I have a theory." I say.

"And what is that?" He asks.

"Most of the time when people make resolutions, they rarely if ever keep them." I say. "I wouldn't want to give to that standard."

"True." He says. "I see what you are saying."

"I think that this has been the best birthday of my life." I say.

"Really?" He asks.

"Yes, I am with my amazing boyfriend and we are all having a blast here." I say. "I couldn't ask for anything to be any better." Just then, almost as if it was on cue snow begins to fall from the sky. It looks so beautiful. Then we hear the countdown to the New Year. We stay outside, and watch as the fireworks go off right as the clock strikes midnight. Chris then leans in and kisses me. It is all sort of magical and romantic. After a little while, we are ready to leave the party. We then find my brothers and we head back toward our rooms.

"So did you guys enjoy the party?" Chris asks my brothers.

"Yeah, it was fun." Caleb says.

"What about you two?" Zach asks.

"We had fun, right Jess." Chris says.

"Yeah, it really was a great night." I say. We then go to our rooms and I change out of my dress and put on some comfortable clothes. I then drift off to sleep. I fall asleep wondering if Sharpay and Zeke talked any at the party. I keep hoping that they did, and then I will get the chance to hear about it tomorrow, because I definitely will want to know how the party ended up going.

* * *

_So...what did you guys think? Let me know! Also here's a sneak peek for the next chapter: **Will Sharpay and Zeke get together? What happened at the adult party? Was their any chemistry?** Until next time. _Also please R&amp;R


	22. Chapter 22

**_So here is the next chapter, I hope that you are all as excited as I was to post it! I can't wait to hear what you all have to say! _**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty –Two:**

The next morning, I wake up with a smile on my face. I wonder if Sharpay and Zeke got to talk any last night. I really hope so. They are perfect for each other. It's a shame that they didn't get together in high school. Hey, better late than never I always say! Who knows, this could be a good year for the both of them.

I then get out of my bed, and walk outside the room. Everyone else is still asleep, well everyone but Zach.

"I didn't wake you, did I?" He asks.

"No, I was already up." I say. "I'm surprised that you are up."

"Well, I just got up." He says. "I was surprised that anyone was up already."

"Well, it's almost noon." I say. "And I got plenty of sleep last night."

"So did I." He says.

"So how about we get dressed and go skiing." I say.

"I think that would be a great idea." He says. "What about mom and dad?"

"We'll leave a note." I say. "They'll be cool with it, I know."

"Ok, well it will take me a minute." He says.

"You're fine." I say. "I need to change as well." I then walk off to the other room and change into my ski clothes. I then pull my hair into a loose ponytail and I am ready to go. I then walk out to where Zach is at.

"You ready to go?" He asks.

"Yes, I'm just going to leave a note." I say. I quickly write a note letting my parents know that Zach and I went off to ski for a bit and will be back later. I then grab my phone and put it in my pants pocket. "Ok, let's go."

"I have a feeling that we will be back before anyone is up." He says.

"I do as well." I say. We then walk out to the slopes, and there is barely anyone out there. It is perfect, this way we won't accidently run into anyone.

After a while of skiing we are tired, so we head back to the lodge. "Are you getting hungry?" Zach asks.

"Kind of, are you?" I ask.

"Yeah." He says. We were about to go find somewhere to eat, when we find our parents and everyone sitting down. They motion for us to join them.

"Did you have a good time skiing?" Dad asks.

"Yeah, it was a blast." I say. "I hope that it was cool that we went on."

"Oh, yeah." He says. "You're eighteen and Zach is almost sixteen so I don't have a problem with it at all."

"Good." I say.

"Thank you for thinking to leave a note though." He says.

"No problem." I say. I then sit down beside Chris.

"Did you sleep well?" He asks.

"I did." I say. "Did you?"

"Yeah." He says. "I couldn't get that creep off of my mind."

"It's all in the past." I say. "So let it go."

"I guess that you're right." He says.

"Yeah, I think so." I say with a smile.

"We're leaving tomorrow, right?" He asks.

"Yeah." I say. "The flight takes off at two."

"Ok, at least it isn't early in the morning." He says.

"Exactly." I say. "I hate early morning flights."

"Me too." He says.

"I'm curious if sparks flew last night." I say.

"You need to stay out of people's business." He says.

"But they are perfect for each other." I say. "Look, see they are sitting beside each other."

"That doesn't prove anything." He says.

"Maybe, but you never know." I say.

"We'll see." He says. We then talk for a little while and eat. After we are all done, I go outside with Chris. While we are walking around, I see Zeke and Sharpay walk outside. I hear what Chris sis saying, but I am focusing on someone else.

"Earth to Jessica." Chris says. "Did you hear anything, that I said?"

"Yeah, Zeke and Sharpay are out here, and I'm trying to read their lips." I say.

"Unbelievable." He says.

"What?" I ask. "I can't help that I really want them together."

"I know, but let love take its course." He says.

"Ok, fine." I say.

"Do you want a drink?" He asks.

"That would be great." I say.

"Ok, anything specific?" He asks.

"No, whatever you get I'm sure I will like." I say.

"Ok, I'll be right back." He says. He then kisses the top of my head and leaves.

_(Sharpay's Pov) _

"Zeke, I had a great time last night." I say.

"So did I." He says. "It almost felt like high school."

"Too bad I was focused on Troy Bolton." I say.

"It's alright." He says. "I probably was trying too hard to win you over."

"Well, the cookies were really good." I say.

"Thanks." He says. "I think that since then I have gotten a lot better."

"Well, time does seem to help." I say.

"I have been thinking," Zeke says. "I wonder what it would be like if we went on a date or two?"

"I would like that, but when would we be able to?" I ask. "You are still in Los Angeles."

"I don't know." He says. "We still have tonight."

"I just don't want what we have to turn into romantic feelings, especially since it could turn into a long distance relationship." I say.

"Shar, I think that we owe it to ourselves to give it a chance." He says.

"Well, I am moving a little closer to where you are." I say.

"Really, I thought that you were staying in New York?" He asks.

"I got a job at East High." I say. "Miss Darbus is fixing to retire and she wanted Troy and I to take over the drama department. Of course, I would be the director, and she worked it out so that I could assist her some more so that I would be adjusted to the school."

"Really?" He asks. "That's awesome. I have some news I need to tell you."

"Ok, what is it?" I ask.

"I am opening up a restaurant in Albuquerque." He says.

"That's awesome." I say. "Maybe then things would be easier."

"I agree." He says. "So do you want to give us a chance?"

"Yeah, that would be perfect." I say.

"How about you let me take you out on a date tonight?" He asks.

"I would love that, wait what about Parker?" I ask.

"Your son?" He asks.

"No, my dog, of course my son." I say.

"Maybe Jessica could watch him for you." He says.

"That's a good idea." I say. "I'll ask her in a little while, if she can't I'm sure someone else can."

"See, so there's nothing keeping you from going out with me tonight." He says.

"I guess that there is not any." I say. "So what time are you picking me up?"

"How about seven o'clock." He says.

"Sound perfect." I say. "What do I need to wear?"

"Whatever you want." He says. "Just don't be too casual."

"Ok, that's all that I needed to know." I say. "Well, I guess I'll see you later, I need to go start getting ready."

"Ok, I can't wait for tonight." He says.

"Bye, Zeke." I say. I then walk off.

_(Jess's Pov) _

"Are you still spying on the love birds?" Chris asks.

"No, I stopped once you left." I say.

"Good." He says. "Oh, here's some hot chocolate, I hope this is alright."

"It's great." I say. "Thank you."

"No problem." He says. While we are sitting in the chairs, Sharpay walks by us.

"Hey, I was looking for you." She says. "Would you be available to watch Parker for me tonight?"

"I should be able to do that." I say.

"And I'm super sorry that it is so last minute, I have a date tonight." She says with a smile.

"It is no problem at all." I say. "So who is the date with?"

"Zeke." She says. "And I'm super nervous."

"Well, what time do you want me to come by your room?" I ask.

"About six fifty." She says.

"Ok, I can do that." I say. "I'm excited for you."

"Thanks, I would stand here and chat, but I have to go get ready!" She says. "Tootles!" She then walks off.

"See, everything did work out." Chris says.

"I know, and it makes me happy." I say. "I saw the sparks before anyone else did."

"Yeah, you are an expert with chemistry." He says.

"I guess that you could say that." I say with a smile. "I'm so happy."

"I can imagine that you are." He says. We then finish up our hot chocolate and then go inside the lodge.

After some time has passed it is time for me to head over to Sharpay's room so that I can watch Parker. When I walk into the room, Parker answers the door.

"Hello beautiful." He says as he opens the door.

"Hey, Parker." I say.

"So I guess that we have a date tonight." He says as I walk into the room.

"No, that's your mom." I say.

"But we get to spend some quality time together." He says.

"Yeah, but not a date." I say.

"I still count it as one." He says.

"If you want to think that, go for it buddy." I say. Sharpay then walks out. She looks so pretty. She is wearing her signature shade of pink.

"Do you think that this looks alright?" She asks me.

"Yeah, you look beautiful." I say.

"You really think so?" She asks.

"I do, but you always look pretty." I say.

"You are so sweet." She says. "Zeke should be here any minute. So I'm going to quickly go over some things. First off, Parker's bed time is ten thirty. He might fall asleep earlier than that, I'm not sure. Also you guys are more than welcome to leave the hotel room and do things around this place, I know that there is a lot to do here. Also if Chris comes by, that's fine as well."

"Ok, I will remember that." I say.

"I figured that you might want to see your boyfriend some, just remember there's a ten year old kid around." She says.

"I wouldn't do anything anyhow." I say.

"Good, just wanted to cover all bases." She says. "So do you have any questions?"

"No, I think that you covered everything pretty well." I say.

"That's good." She says. Then the doorbell rings. "I guess that he's here. I can't believe that I am so nervous."

"I hope that you have a great time tonight." I say.

"Thanks." She says. Parker runs over and opens the door, and there's Zeke. He has a bouquet of flowers in his hand. He walks inside the room and gives them to Sharpay. "They're beautiful." She then puts them in some water.

"You look amazing." Zeke says to Sharpay.

"Thank you." She says. "You look so handsome."

"Thanks." He says. "So are you ready to go?"

"Yes." She says. They then leave. I am so excited for them. I can't wait to hear how things go tonight! I'm so happy for them; it is so awesome that they finally ended up getting a second chance together!

"So, Parker, what do you want to do tonight?" I ask.

"I don't know whatever you want to do." He says.

"Ok, how about we sit down and watch a movie, and just order in some pizza." I say. "Does that sound like a plan?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea." He says. "And you can pick the movie."

"Parker, how about I let you, this time." I say. "I need to call in the pizza."

"Ok, I'll pick out a good one." He says. I then walk off, and order some pizza, I then call Chris and see if he would like to help me watch Parker.

"Ok, so what did you pick out?" I ask as I walk back into the room.

"It's a surprise." He says. "I will tell you this, it is a musical."

"I should've known that you would pick that genre." I say.

"It's my favorite type of movie." He says.

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me." I say. We then start watching the movie, and it actually is pretty good. I just let him pick because I thought that it would calm down his flirting, unfortunately I don't think that it worked all that well. The doorbell then rings.

"Allow me." He says. He then jumps off of the couch and darts to the door. "Oh, it's you."

"Parker, who is it?" I ask.

"Chris." He says. I then get up and give Chris a hug.

"So what movie are you guys watching?" Chris asks.

"A musical." I say.

"Oh, cool." Chris says.

"Yeah, it is." Parker says. Just then the pizza arrives. I pay for the food and we sit down and eat some pizza and watch the movie. After a little while, Parker finally falls asleep.

"I'll go put him in his bed." Chris says.

"Thank you." I say. He then picks Parker up from the couch and puts him in a bed.

"So, now it's just you and me." He says.

"Yeah." I say. "Do you want to watch another movie?"

"Sure." He says. "But it's your pick this time."

"Ok, let's see what there is." I say. I go through the bag of movies that Sharpay had brought and I go through the movies the place has as well. "This looks interesting."

"What is it?" He asks.

"It's from when my parents were in high school." I say.

"What is it though?" He asks.

"It's their spring musical, entitled Senior Year." I say.

"Interesting, very original title." He says.

"I know, but it would be cool to see what it was like." I say.

"Ok, it's worth a shot." He says. I then put it in and we start watching it.

The first thing that we see is Ryan and Kelsi. They really haven't changed since high school, well maybe a little bit, but they are easy to recognize. We get half way through the musical and my parents haven't been in it at all.

"It thought that your parents were in this one?" He asks.

"I thought so too, maybe they are in it at a later point." I say.

"Who is this guy, he looks hilarious." He says.

"He played on the basketball team, I think that he was called Rocket man, I don't know why though." I say.

"Oh, look here's your mom." He says. "You look just like her."

"And there's my dad." I say. "Maybe we should do our school musical."

"I think that I would pass, but if you did it, well I would buy a ticket to come see it." He says. "Theatre isn't something I enjoy."

"Well, apparently your dad didn't mind doing it." I say as I see Chad come onto the stage.

"I'll think about it." He says.

"Good, at least you would be open to it." I say.

"But I'm not making any promises." He says.

"I know, and if you really don't want to you don't have to." I say. "I just had a fleeting thought that's all."

"Well it was a good idea, and I'll definitely give it some thought." He says.

"Ok, that's all I wanted." I say. After some time, the door opens and Sharpay comes walking in, she has a smile on her face. "So I'm guessing that the date went well."

"It did." She says.

"Well, I need to get going." Chris says.

"Ok, I'll see you later." I say. "So tell me all about it."

"Well, we both decided that we would give this a chance, who knows maybe he was the right guy for me, but I was blinded to be able to see that." She says. "I'm glad that this time I really gave him a chance. We tried dating once we had graduated, but there wasn't that spark that I feel now."

"I'm glad for you both." I say. "I hope that everything works out for the both of you."

"And what makes it better is that we are both moving back home." She says. "So in a way it might bring us even closer."

"Oh, yeah that's right, you're working at East High." I say.

"Yeah, and I'm really excited to get to do something that I love doing." She says. "After the divorce, I kind of did away with theatre, but now I feel excitement for a change instead of dread."

"Well, you did well on Broadway you won a few Tony's." I say.

"I won four to be exact." She says. "I was up for a fifth one, but I knew that I wasn't going to get that one, my performance wasn't that special."

"That is still pretty impressive." I say.

"Thanks." She says.

"Well, Parker is asleep." I say.

"Was he good?" She asks.

"Yeah, he was pretty good." I say.

"I forgot to ask, how much do I owe you for watching him?" She asks.

"You don't owe me anything." I say.

"Are you sure?" She asks. "I was planning on paying you."

"Yes, I'm positive." I say.

"Thank you, that was very sweet of you." She says.

"It was no problem, I promise." I say. I then leave and go back to my room. When I get in my mom is packing up some of her things. "Do you need any help?"

"That would be great." She says. I then start helping her fold up some clothes and putting them into her suitcase. "So have you enjoyed this trip?"

"I have, it has been a lot of fun." I say.

"I'm glad that you have." She says.

"What about you?" I ask.

"I've enjoyed it; of course I wasn't able to have as much fun as I would have wanted to, given the fact that I'm pregnant." She says. "But it still has been a great time."

"I'm glad." I say. "You're due in June right?"

"Yes, if things go as planned I should have the twins on June 16th." She says.

"At least it won't interfere with graduation." I say.

"I know, that was one of my concerns." She says. "I didn't want to miss your graduation."

"I wouldn't want you to either." I say.

"Thank you for all of your help." She says.

"It's no problem, I like to help people." I say.

"You've always been that way." She says.

"Oh, while I was watching Parker I found a DVD of your high school musical." I say.

"Oh, was it from senior year?" She asks.

"Yes." I say.

"What did you think of it?" She asks.

"I thought that it was great." I say. "And you and dad sing so well together."

"Thanks." She says. "We actually were late for our performance. When we actually were seen, we had just gotten to the school."

"That had to have been nerve wracking." I say.

"It was, and to make it worse I was afraid that I would forget the song, and everything." I say. "I wasn't supposed to be there anyhow, I was at Stanford."

"Oh, yeah the freshman honors program." I say.

"Yes, and as much as I know you would be able to get into it, I sort of don't want you to do it." She says.

"I had for a while thought about it, but I just wouldn't want to miss out on everything." I say. "Besides, it would make it even harder to leave when I had to in the fall."

"That is very true." She says. "Besides, I'm not ready to get rid of you just yet."

"I'm not ready to leave either." I say. She then gives me a hug. After a little bit, I go and pack up some of my things and then go to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.

* * *

**So...what did you think of the little bit of a different love story? I would love to get some feedback. I hope that everyone has enjoyed this story so far! Please R&amp;R **


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

The past month has flown by so fast. I still can't believe that in four months I will be graduating. The next few days are going to be bittersweet. Tonight, is the last game of the season, but at least on the bright side we do get to go to the championships. I just can't believe that tonight is it for me.

I walk downstairs to the kitchen and see my dad sitting at the counter drinking some coffee. "Do you mind if I join you?" I ask.

"Not at all." He says. "So are you ready for tonight?"

"I don't know." I say as I sit down next to him. "It's my last game."

"Unless you play in college." He says.

"True, but I think that after this, I'm done." I say.

"I thought that this is what you wanted." He says.

"I thought so too." I say. "But I think that there is something much better out there for me."

"Like what?" He asks.

"I want to help people." I say. "I want to be a doctor."

"You do?" He asks.

"Yeah." I say. "I think that I want to be a pediatrician."

"That's great." He says. "Why did you wait until now to tell me this?"

"Because I was afraid that you would be mad at me." I say.

"I wouldn't be mad at you." He says. "Besides, I have three other kids, and one of them is bound to play pro."

"Or at least you hope so." I say.

"It would be cool if at least one of you follow in my footsteps." He says.

"Well, I'm not following in mom's footsteps either." I say.

"That's true." He says. "And to be honest I couldn't see you being a lawyer."

"Me either." I say.

"I'm so proud of you." He says.

"You are?" I ask.

"Yeah." He says. "You've grown up to be such an amazing young lady."

"Thanks." I say. I then give my dad a hug.

"Now onto tonight." He says. "Do you want a lot of playing time?"

"Duh, you didn't even need to be asking that question." I say. "I love playing."

"I know that you do." He says. "Ok, so here's how I'm thinking that the game is going to go." He then shows me his game plan for tonight. "So what do you think?"

"I think that this plan should work out well, and regardless of winning or losing, we are still a team." I say.

"Exactly." He says. "That's a good attitude to have. But it would be nice to win."

"I know." I say. "I'm just preparing myself for the worst case scenario."

"It's good that you are." He says. "The lions are a hard team, but we've beat them before."

"And I think that we'll beat them again." I say.

"Let's hope so." He says. "I want to finish a season off well."

"There's always next year." I say.

"I guess so." He says.

A few hours go by and before we know it, it is game time. I get on the court and warm up. I am so nervous, I can feel it throughout my entire body. The game is going back and forth for all of the first and second quarters of the game. When it becomes half time, I go back to the locker room. I am so upset that it looks like we may not win. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Chris.

"Hey, you are playing so great out there." He says.

"Yeah, but it's not doing that great." I say.

"Well, your team made it farther than mine." He says.

"And you still have colleges wanting you to sign." I say.

"I know." He says. "But it really is irrelevant."  
"No, you're awesome." I say.

"And so are you." He says. "Go out there and just have fun. Don't worry about the score board, it's not what you're going to remember thirty years from now. All that you will remember is having fun."

"I guess you're right." I say.

"Jess, trust me." He says. "My dad told me that his best games were the ones when he just went out there and played the sport he loved, and if he played well great, but he said sometimes he didn't play so well, and yet he said that those games were such a blast. Just go out there and do just that."

"But I can't stand losing." I say.

"I know, miss competitive." He says. "I know you all too well."

"I guess you know me better than I know myself." I say.

"No, I just see you in a different way." He says.

"Ok, well I guess that I need to get out there." I say.

"Yeah, and just have fun." He says.

"Ok." I say. I then start to walk off.

"Would a kiss for good luck help?" He asks.

"I thought that you didn't believe in luck." I say.

"Well, maybe I just wanted a kiss from you." He says.

"I'm all sweaty." I say.

"So what." He says.

"Alright, fine." I say. I then walk back over to him and give him a kiss. I then run off to the court.

The game ends up going really well. We actually win by four points. I am so excited! The team all goes back to the locker room to change, because tonight we are going to celebrate our win. After I get changed, I walk outside and see Chris standing there.

"My advice did help." He says.

"Yeah." I say. "I guess that you could say that. So are you coming back to my house to celebrate?"

"I don't know." He says. "It depends on who is going to be there."

"Well, word on the street is that Jessica Bolton is going to be there." I say.

"Well, then I think I'll come if she's going to be there." He says.

"Good, because she probably would get upset." I say.

"I'm sure that she would." He says. "Could I give you a ride?"

"Sure, I rode with my dad anyhow." I say. "I was too nervous to drive."

"I couldn't imagine you getting that nervous." He says. I just laugh and we get into his car.

* * *

_I hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter! Sorry for the delay, I've been super busy lately. Let me know what you think! Also check out the poll on my profile. _

**_Next Time: After Game party, and some big news!... Until Next Time! _**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

Some time has past by and I am back at my house to celebrate the team winning the game. We did incredible out there tonight, and I know that my dad is proud of the team. I do my best to mingle with people for a little while, and after a bit I see Chris sitting on the couch by himself.

"Do you mind if I join you?" I ask.

"Not at all." He says. I then slide closer to him.

"So, why are you all by yourself?" I ask.

"I wasn't feeling like being with people." He says.

"I'm not buying that." I say. "Something is on your mind."

"I've been thinking a lot about us." He says.

"What about us?" I ask. "You're not wanting to break up, are you?"

"No, not that at all." He says. "I'm just wondering if there is going to be an us, when you go away to Stanford."

"Chris, we've always been best friends." I say. "Even when your dad and my dad played for different teams, and I was stuck living in New York and you lived in L.A. we were still friends. Besides, some people say that absence makes the heart grow fonder."

"That's true, but it's going to be hard." He says.

"We still have three months until graduation, and then we have all summer." I say. "I'm not going anywhere for a while."

"I know, it's just going to be very hard." He says. He then kisses the top of my forehead.

"So, what are you going to do now that the season is over?" He asks.

"I know that it will be, but if anyone can make a long distance relationship work, it's you." I say. "I believe that we can go against the odds."

"I hope so." He says. "I don't want to lose you." I just smile. After a little while we both go outside and mingle with some of our friends. We both end up having a good time.

After some time has gone by, everyone has left except for my parent's friends.

"So, I have an announcement." My dad says. "I thought that I would let all of you know before it got in the media, that I am going out of retirement. The Lakers offered me a spot on my team, and I accepted."

"I thought that you were told that you didn't need to play anymore." Zeke says.

"I got it cleared with my doctors, so I am good to go." He says. "I will officially join the team next week."

"That's awesome!" Chad says. "I kind of wish I was still playing."

"Well, it's nice to have you at home." Taylor says as she snuggles up to him.

"You're not the only one that has a special announcement." Zeke says. "Shar, do you want me to tell them or do you want to."

"I will." Sharpay says. "Zeke and I are getting married!"

"That is so awesome." Taylor says. Chris then looks over at me and says

"Didn't they just start dating?"

"Yeah, but I guess that when you are their age, it is quicker to fall in love with someone." I say.

"True." He says. We all then celebrate some more. "So did you know about your dad?"

"No, I found out at the same time you did." I say.

"So what do you think about it?" He asks.

"Honestly, I'm shocked." I say. "I had no idea that he was even considering going back into the NBA."

"Well, it will be a good thing for him though." Chris says.

"That's true." I say. "And I really am happy for him, I just wish that I had, had some notice."

"I completely understand that one." He says. "But things will work out."

"I hope so." I say. He then brushes some of my hair out of my face. "Do you want to go outside?"

"I would love to." He says. We then go outside and go to the tree house that my dad built for me when I was eight. "I didn't know that this was still here."

"Yeah, I guess they kept it." I say. "I like to come up here and just think."

"I can see why." He says. "It's secluded."

"Yeah, and for some reason when I'm up here, I feel like I am free to think about anything that I want to." I say.

"So, what are you thinking about right now?" He asks.

"I'm thinking about how everything is changing." I say. "But it's not that unusual."

"If you need to vent you can." He says.

"Thanks, so what's on your mind?" I ask.

"I'm thinking about how I have a beautiful girlfriend." He says.

"And who's that?" I ask.

"Oh, it's just some girl named Jessica Bolton, I don't know if you have heard of her before." He says.

"Oh, that girl." I say. "I've heard that she is super weird."

"Well, that's what I like about her." He says. "I also like that I can make her laugh and that she is ticklish." He then starts tickling me and I laugh uncontrollably. "You know something, I love her so much."

"I love you too." I say. He then kisses me.

* * *

**So...what did you think about the surprises? I would love to hear. Also remember to check out the baby name poll on my profile. Until next time! _P.S. Remember to R&amp;R and sorry that it was super short, I'll try to update sooner to make it up to you all! _**


	25. Chapter 25

**So, here is the next chapter! Again. I'm super sorry that the last chapter was so short, this one is a little bit longer. Anyhow, I hope that you enjoy, and remember to R&amp;R**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Five:**

It's crazy that my dad decided to go out of retirement. It has only been four years since he had played, and I honestly thought that after that he was done. How knew that he would end up going back?

I walk down the halls at East High. It is weird having people congratulating me on the team winning. I don't want the spotlight, it was a team effort. I then walk into my Chemistry class. When I walk in, I don't see Ms. Ford, instead I see Sharpay.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

"Ms. Ford is out with the flu so I am subbing for her." She says.

"Oh, ok." I say.

"What class is this?" She asks.

"AP Chemistry." I say.

"Oh, I wasn't sure." She says.

"Are we doing anything?" I ask. She glances through some papers and then looks back at me.

"No, she said that you all could read, but you didn't have to if you didn't want to." She says.

"Ok, that sounds good to me." I say. I then head to my desk.

"I need your help." She says.

"Ok, with what?" I ask.

"I'm trying to get people to audition for the musical, and I've heard from a little birdie that you can sing." She says.

"I can't sing." I say.

"And to think, your dad said the same thing," She says. "so modest."

"It's true, I'm not that great of a singer." I say.

"Would you audition?" She asks. "Please."

"I don't know." I say.

"It could be a private audition, that way no one else has to know that you can't sing." She says.

"Ok, I'll do it, but you have to get Chris to audition as well." I say.

"Done." She says. "I will talk to him, and in the mean time, here is the sheet music and a cd that you can use to practice with." She then pulls the items out of her pink bag.

"Ok, I can't guarantee anything, but I'll give it a try." I say.

"Good, that's all that I want." She says. "And I'm sure that you will be fabulous."

"We'll see." I say. After a little while the period is over. I then go to my other classes. After a little while, I come on home and go to my room and work on homework.

When I finish it, I rummage through my bag and find the sheet music. The song is 'Breaking Free'. I then glance through the lyrics. While looking at them, I get a call from Chris.

"Hey, what's up?" I ask.

"Did you tell Sharpay that I would be in the musical?" He asks.

"No, I wouldn't do something like that." I say. "I only told her that I would audition if you would."

"Oh, so you're actually considering doing it?" He asks.

"I don't know." I say. "I might. I have sheet music and the song is a duet."

"I don't know if I want to do a musical." He says. "My dad is already talking about more basketball; I'm not going to have much free time."

"It would be fun though." I say.

"I don't know." He says.

"Just think about it." I say.

"Ok, I will." He says. "I'll talk to you later."

"Alright." I say. "Bye."

"Bye." He says. He then hangs up.

I wonder what this song sounds like. It seems familiar, but I don't know from where. I then put the disk into my sound system and hit play. The first track is a demonstration of the song. I listen to it for a minute and then get the hang of it. I then go onto the next track and start singing a little bit.

'We're soarin', flyin'  
There's not a star in heaven  
That we can't reach

If we're trying  
So we're breaking free

You know the world can see us  
In a way that's different than who we are

Creating space between us  
'Til we're separate hearts

But your faith it gives me strength  
Strength to believe.

I am interrupted by hearing another voice. It is my dad, I continue singing and he joins in. {Author's note: **Bold=Troy; **_Italics=Both; _Norma= Jessica}  
**We're breakin' free**  
We're soarin'

**Flyin'**  
_  
__There's not a star in heaven_  
_That we can't reach_  
**If we're trying**  
_Yeah, we're breaking free_  
**Oh, we're breakin' free**  
Ohhhh  
**Can you feel it building****  
****Like a wave the ocean just can't control**  
Connected by a feeling  
Ohhh, in our very souls  
_Rising 'til it lifts us up__  
__So every one can see_  
**We're breakin' free**  
We're soarin'  
**Flyin'**  
_There's not a star in heaven__  
__That we can't reach_  
**If we're trying****  
****Yeah we're breaking free**  
Ohhhh runnin'  
**Climbin'****  
****To get to that place**  
_To be all that we can be _

_So we're breaking free_

**We're breaking free**  
Ohhh , yeah  
**More than hope****  
****More than faith**  
This is true  
This is fate  
And together  
_We see it comin'_  
**More than you****  
****More than me**  
Not a want, but a need  
_Both of us breakin' free_  
Soarin'

**Flyin'**  
_There's not a star in heaven__  
__That we can't reach__  
__If we're trying_  
**Yeah we're breaking free**  
Breaking free  
Were runnin'  
**Ohhhh, climbin'**  
_To get to the place__  
__To be all that we can be__  
__Now's the time_  
**Now's the time**  
So we're breaking free  
**Ohhh, we're breaking free**  
Ohhhh  
_You know the world can see us__  
__In a way that's different than who we are'_

"Jessica, you have an amazing voice." My dad says.

"Thanks." I say. "I didn't know that you knew this song."

"I sang this when I auditioned for my school's musical with your mom." He says. "In fact Kelsi was the one that composed this song."

"I didn't know that." I say. "Sharpay begged me to audition so I said that I would think about it, and she handed me this, so I thought that I would give it a try."

"Well, I think that you will do very well." My mom says.

"Maybe, if Chris can sing, Chris could audition with you." Dad says.

"That would be really cute." My mom says.

"He's considering doing it, but both of us would need some practice, and maybe some tips." I say. "Now knowing that I have two parents that have already sung this song."

"Maybe we can help you both out." Mom says.

"And maybe we could do a demonstration for you as well." Dad says.

"That would be great." I say. "I had heard that you both sang in high school, but hearing it live would be awesome."

"I'm sure that at some point you will." Dad says. We all then leave my room and go downstairs and hang out together as a family.

"Troy, I think that we have a copy of our audition." My mom says.

"Gabs, they videoed it?" He asks.

"Yes, Troy." She says. "And here it is."

"I want to see this." Caleb says.

"Of course you do." Zach says.

"I think that Sharpay's audition is on here as well." Mom says. I then put in the tape and hit play. We all then sit there and watch. It is funny seeing how Sharpay and Ryan were back in high school. After a little bit, I see my parents. They almost look the same. Even in high school they looked so in love with each other, it is so precious. When it is done, I take it out.

"So what did you guys think?" Dad asks.

"I didn't know that either one of you could sing." Caleb says.

"It sounded really good." Zach says.

"Yeah, I like hearing the song sung by my parents." I say. "It's going to be hard to do as well as that."

"Jess, you sound so good you have absolutely nothing to worry about." Mom says.

"Just have fun." Dad says.

"Alright, I will." I say.

"So when is the audition?" Mom asks.

"Tuesday." I say.

"Well, hopefully Chris will decide to sing with you." Dad says.

"I hope so." I say. "It would be nice."

"It also would be so sweet if you were the leads of the musical." Mom says.

"We'll see." I say. "Regardless, I'm going to audition."

"That's a good attitude to have, and you never know, maybe you will do a good job." Dad says.

"I hope so." I say. "At least basketball season is over with."

"That is very true." He says. "And before you know it, the year will be over and done with."

"I don't even want to think about it, not right now at least." Mom says.

"I don't blame you." Dad says. "It's going to be hard to get rid of her."

"You're not getting rid of me; I'm just going off to college." I say.

"I know, but things around here will be very different." He says.

"That is very true." Mom says. "But change is a good thing."

"I agree with you on that one." I say. I normally am not one that enjoys change, to me it is hard, but I think that maybe this change in my life will be a good one. I'm excited for what the future holds.

After a little while, I go outside to the tree house, and just sit there and think about auditioning. After a little bit, I hear someone climbing up the ladder. I look up and see that it is Chris.

"Hey." I say.  
"Do you mind if I join you?" He asks.

"No, you are more than welcome to join me." I say. "So what's up?"

"I've been thinking about it, and if you really want me to, I will audition with you." He says.

"Really?" I ask. "You don't have to." I say.

"I know." He says. "But I want to."

"That's awesome." I say. "We will have a private audition anyhow."

"Jess, if we are going to do it, we need to do it right." He says.

"Chris, what if we sound awful?" I ask.

"That's a chance that I am willing to take." He says. "Besides, you don't sound bad, if we sound bad it will be because of me, not you."

"You can sing though." I say.

"So, we probably need to practice, don't you think so?" He asks.

"Yeah." I say. "I have the disk in my room."

"Ok." He says. "Then let's go rehearse, I don't want to make a fool out of myself."

"Me either." I say. We then go inside and practice. I am excited for our audition, it will be fun.

* * *

So did you like this chapter? Let me know, I would love to hear your comments and suggestions!

Even though it is already obvious, since i don't own the high school musical franchise, I don't own the song "Breaking Free" that is featured in this chapter.

Please remember again to R&amp;R and also check out the baby names poll on my profile page! **What do you want the twins names to be? **


	26. Chapter 26

_Here is the next chapter! Thank you to all of you who have voted on the poll. In just a few short weeks I will be giving you all an update, so take the time to give your input! _

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

Today is the day that I am to audition with Chris for the school musical. I feel so nervous, what if we do a horrible job? I have never done anything like this before.

"I feel like I am about to throw up." I say.

"Jess, you play basketball in front of hundreds of people, but you can't sing in front of twenty people." He says. "I thought that nothing scared you."

"I guess that I finally found something that did." I say with a smile.

"Come on, you are not alone." He says. "We're both in this together. Come on, take my hand and we'll do the very best that we can, alright."

"Ok." I say. I then take his hand and we walk out onto the stage.

"Alright, whenever you are ready." Sharpay says with a smile. I take a look at the people out there, and then look at Chris.

"I can't do it." I say.

"Jess, don't look at the crowd, keep your eyes on me." He says. "You've got a killer voice and I know that you will be perfectly fine."

"Ok." I say.

"Are you ready?" He asks.

"Yes." I say. He then cues the pianist and we sing 'Breaking Free'. When we are finished we get an applause. "See, I told you." He says. He then kisses my cheek.

"Good job, to both of you!" Sharpay says. We then get off of the stage and sit in the auditorium. We hear a few more auditions and then it is over. "Alright, I have to make some decisions and then we'll post it soon. Thank you all for auditioning. Some of you really surprised me!" Then everyone leaves. "Jessica and Chris could I talk to you both for a minute?"

"Sure, what's up?" Chris asks.

"You two blew me away!" She says. "I am so proud of you both for auditioning, it means so much to me. I have a question for you both. Would you two consider singing a duet for my wedding?"

"We can think about it." Chris says.

"When is the wedding?" I ask.

"Some time this summer." She says.

"Ok, we will consider and get back to you, if that's alright." He says.

"That will be awesome." She says.

"See you later, Sharpay." I say. We then walk off hand in hand.

"Was that so hard?" He asks.

"No, it's only because I had you." I say.

"Well, we do make a good team." He says.

"Yeah, we really do." I say. We then get into his car.

"How about we celebrate." He says.

"What?" I ask.

"You finally conquering your stage fright." He says.

"It's not that big of a deal." I say. "But I wouldn't mind spending some time with you."

"Ok." He says. "How about we go get some coffee."

"That sounds like a good idea." I say.

"Ok." He says. We then drive across town to our favorite coffee shop. When we get there he parks and comes to my door and opens it for me.

"Thank you." I say.

"You are welcome." He says. We then walk into the coffee shop and I get a table and he orders our drinks. After a little bit he comes back to the table with our drinks.

"So, what do you think about singing at Sharpay and Zeke's wedding?" I ask.

"I think that we should do it, but only if you want to though." He says.

"It would be a nice thing to do for her." I say.

"Yeah." He says. "I wonder what we would have to sing though."

"I have no clue, as long as it is not some annoying song, it would be fine." I say.

"That's true." He says. "Well, we would have plenty of time to work on it, and the musical."

"And both of our voices should improve." I say.

"Yeah, especially since I haven't ever really sang in public." He says.

"I haven't either, and apparently we sound pretty good together." I say.

"Our voices do compliment eachother's." He says.

"Just like we compliment eachother with everything we do together." I say.

We continue to talk for a little while, and after a little while we go back to my house. When we get there, there is no one at home. I then look at my phone and see that I have a text from Zach. It says 'We went to the hospital grandpa may have had a heart attack.'

"Jess, is everything alright?" Chris asks.

"I don't know." I say. Tears then start to form in my eyes.

"What happened?" He asks.

"Zach sent me a text and said that my grandpa may have had a heart attack." I say. "They are the hospital right now."

"Do you want me to come with you?" He asks.

"Yeah, if you don't mind." I say.

"Not at all." He says. "And I'm sure that he will be alright."

"I don't know." I say. "I want to think that he will be fine." We then leave my house and get into his car. I keep worrying that something is going to happen to him, but I don't want to think like that. He is the only grandfather that I have. My mom's dad has been gone since before I was born. It would also be hard for my grandmother to go on with life without him. They were high school sweet hearts, I couldn't imagine losing someone I was that close to. When we arrive at the hospital we are able to find my parents and siblings sitting in the waiting room.  
"So do you know anything?" I ask.

"No, they are running tests." Mom says.

"Where's grandma?" I ask.

"She's back there with him." Dad says.

"Oh, ok." I say. Chris and I then sit down. Zane then comes over to me, and sits beside me.

"Jess, do you think that he is going to be alright?" He asks.

"I don't know, buddy." I say. "But I hope that he will."

"Me too." He says. After a little while Zane falls asleep on my shoulder. Chris pulls out his phone to see what time it is.  
"I hate to have to do this, but I'm going to need to get home." He says. "Let me know if anything changes."

"I will, thank you for coming with me." I say. "It's no problem at all, and I would stay longer but I need to get home." He says.

"I understand." I say. "What time is it?"

"It's eleven o'clock." He says.

"We'll probably be leaving soon as well." I say.

"Call me, if you need someone to talk to." He says.

"Alright, I will." I say. Chris then leaves. After a few minutes my mom comes over to me.

"Jess, I know that you probably want to stay a little longer, but you have school tomorrow and so do your brothers." She says. "How about you go ahead and head on home."

"Are you staying?" I ask.

"I'm trying to figure out what to do." She says. "I feel like your dad needs me to be here."

"Ok, did dad drive his car?" I ask.

"Yeah." She says.

"Ok, I'll take them home." I say. "Call me if anything changes."

"I will." She says. "And here's the keys."

"Ok." I say. "I'll just carry Zane on out."

"I'll carry him out for you." Zach says.

"Ok, well let's go then." I say. "Bye mom."

"Bye, be careful." She says. "

Caleb come on." I say.

"Why are we leaving?" He asks.

"Because, we have school in the morning." I say. "And we still don't know anything yet so we are just going to be waiting."

"What if something changes?" He asks.

"Mom said that she will call." I say.

"Ok." He says. We then leave and go to my mom's car and head on home. When we get into the house, I put Zane in his bed. Then my brother's finally go to sleep, and I change my clothes and grab a blanket and go downstairs and turn on the tv in the family room. I don't want to fall asleep because I have a feeling that I will get a call and miss it. At some point I hear my phone ring, and I wake up. I look at my phone and see that it is three o'clock and it is my mom. I then pick it up to answer it. I hope that it is good news and not bad news. I am preparing my mind for the worst case scenario. I am almost afraid to answer the phone call but I know that I need to.

"Hey." I say. "Do you have any news?"

* * *

**I know, I left it on a cliffhanger! Next chapter: What was the phone call about. ...Until next time. Please R&amp;R, and remember if you haven't already checked out the poll on my profile please do. I always like hearing from you all! **


	27. Chapter 27

_I know you are all wondering, what happens next, what was the call about? Well here is the answer! Please R&amp;R_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

When I get off of the phone with my mom and go into Zach and Caleb's room. Zach wakes up right away.

"Did mom call?" He asks. "Is grandpa alright?"

"I just got off of the phone with her." I say. "She told me that we need to get to the hospital soon."

"Is that all that she said?" He asks.

"Yeah." I say. "She thinks that it isn't going to be good."

"That isn't good." He says.

"Yeah, but I think that we need to hurry up." I say. "I'll go wake up Zane."

"Ok, and I'll take care of Caleb." He says. I then walk off and go into Zane's room.

"Buddy, you need to get up, ok." I say.

"Where am I?" He asks.

"You are at the house." I say. "You fell asleep at the hospital, but we are about to go back up there."

"Is grandpa alright?" He asks.

"I'm not 100% sure." I say. "Go ahead and get up."

"Do I have to go to school?" He asks.

"You might." I say. "But school doesn't start for another five hours."

"Oh, ok." He says.

"If you need to change, go ahead we have time, and I need to anyhow." I say. I then leave and go to my room. I change out of my pajamas and pull my hair into a ponytail. I then get my brothers together and we head on to the hospital. When we get there my mom is in the waiting room. She motions for us to come over to her.

"So is grandpa ok?" Zane asks.

"Zane baby, he did have a heart attack and he just got done with the tests. The doctors aren't sure if he will make it, he had a massive heart attack."She says.

"Is dad back there with him?" I ask.

"Yeah." She says. "They only allow three back there at a time."

"So, that means that one other person can go back there." Zach says.

"Yes." She says. "Do you want to go back there?"

"Yeah, if that is alright." Zach says.

"The room number is 2227." Mom says.

"Ok." Zach says. He then walks off. Caleb and Zane then sit down for a little while.

"So how is dad handling all of this?" I ask.

"He seems as good as he could be." She says. "I've never seen him so upset though."

"Hopefully grandpa will get better soon." I say.

"I hope so too." She says. "He means so much to all of us; especially your father."

"I know, isn't he the reason that dad started playing basketball?" I ask.

"He was." She says. "And I have a feeling it would be hard for him to go out there and play if his father was no longer living."

"I agree." I say. We then sit down and talk for a little while. After a bit grandma and Zach come out to the waiting room. I get up and hug my grandma. Just by looking on her face you can tell that she has been crying.

"I think that I am going to go home for a little while and get some rest." She says.

"Ok, is Troy still back there?" my mom asks.

"Yes." She says. "Call me if anything changes." "I will, and you need to try to get some sleep." Mom says.  
"I know." She says. "And you really need to yourself."

"I know." My mom says. "I am taking the day off so I may in a little bit go home for a while."

"Good." She says. My grandma then leaves. "So how is he?" Mom asks.

"He is asleep right now." Zach says. "The doctors said that they may have to put some stints in."

"That's pretty standard." Mom says. "Jess, do you want to go back there with me for a little bit?" I nod my head and we go back there together. When we walk in I see my dad. You can tell just be looking at his eyes that he is sleep deprived. He also looks worried for his father. My mom sits down beside him. They talk for a little bit. I just sit there for a minute. After a moment my grandfather wakes up, he has a smile on his face when he sees me. I walk over to him.  
"How are you feeling?" I ask.

"I've been better." He says with a laugh. "I'm glad that when I woke up you were here."

"I'm glad that I was too." I say. "So I've heard that the doctors are thinking they are going to have to put stints in."

"Yeah." He says. "Hopefully it will prevent me from having another having another one."

"I hope so." I say. "I don't want something to happen to you."

"Me neither." He says. "Fortunately I have a strong heart."

"Yeah, just be careful from now on." I say. "I don't want for you to not be here ten years from now."

"I want to be here for a while." He says. After a little while, I leave the room and let my brother's go in for a bit. I sit in the waiting room with Zach.

"It's funny, that he woke up when you were in the room." He says.

"I guess it was just perfect timing." I say. "It wasn't planned."

"I know." He says. "It is just sort of strange."

"We are going to need to go to school in a little while." I say.

"Do we have to?" He asks.

"Well, it is up to mom and dad, but I plan on going on anyhow." I say.

"Of course you would." He says.

"If he wasn't alright I wouldn't, but he should be perfectly fine." I say. "He is having a minor surgery and will probably just be in the hospital a couple of days for observation."

"I see what you are saying, but I am super tired." He says.

"I believe you." I say. "Did you even go to sleep last night?"

"For a little bit, not long though." He says. "I had just fallen asleep when you came into my room this morning."

"Sorry." I say. "It's fine." He says.

"I probably wouldn't have slept for that long anyhow."

"You never know. " I say. After a little bit, I go onto school. When I walk in the doors of the school Chris comes running towards me.

"Is he alright?"

"Yeah." I say. "They are just doing an minor surgery and he should be able to go home on Friday."

"That's good." He says. "What time did you guys leave?"

"Not too long after you left." I say. "But we went back up there at three thirty."

"Oh, that stinks." He says. "At least I got some sleep." I say.

"And your parents made you come on to school?" He asks.

"No, I chose to." I say.

"Wow, somehow that doesn't surprise me." He says. "Did your brothers go in?"

"Zach ended up going, but Caleb and Zane decided to stay home." I say.

"Goodness, Zach is following how you are." He says. "I thought that you were the only weird one."

"He just didn't want to miss class." I say. "Yeah." He says. "That's where you and I are different. If my parents said 'Chris if you don't want to go to school today, you don't have to' well then I wouldn't."

"Well, with the year being almost over I didn't want to miss anything too important." I say.

"I see your point, but I still wouldn't want to do it." He says.

"Of course you wouldn't." I say. We then head to our first period class.

**_Gabriella's Pov_**

When I finally got home, I felt like I was going to collapse. I am so tired, and being pregnant doesn't help anything. After I go to sleep for a couple of hours I feel so much better. I then get up and take a shower and get ready for the day. Once I am ready, I go downstairs and she my husband. "Hey." I say. "Did you sleep any?"

"Yeah." He says. "Did you?"

"Yeah." I say. "Probably for way too long. you look like something is on your mind. Do you want to talk about it?"

"I just have a lot going on." He says. He then sits down.

"Do you want to tell me what's going on?" I ask.

"I'm thinking about turning down the offer from the Lakers." He says.

"Why?" I ask. "You were so excited when they wanted you back, and it was the first time in a while that I had seen you be really excited. Troy, you are such a great player."

"I don't know, with everything that has happened to my dad, it has made me rethink things. I'm afraid that if I play then something will happen again and I won't be able to be there for him." He says.

"Troy, when you first told me about playing again, I'll be honest I didn't think that it was the best decision, but I know that you need to do this." I say. "You were meant to play, and your dad would love to see you play at least another season in the NBA. He was so elated when you told him about it last week."

"I know, but-" He says.

"But what?" I ask. "Troy, I know that no one can tell you what to do, besides you are so stubborn, but I really think that you should play." He sat there silently for a few minutes.

"All that ever wanted to do after I got injured was to go back out there, but now that everything is changing I wonder is is worth it?" He says. "I mean we are about to have two more kids, and you can't take care of them by yourself."

"Troy, if you want this, we will all make it happen." I say. "I'm sure that the boys will help out, and Jessica will when she can."

"Ok." He says. He remains silent for another moment. I'm sure that he is thinking and processing what he needs to do.

"Well, whatever you decide, you are supposed to sign the contract on Monday." I say.

"I know, and I probably will be signing it, but I may change my mind." He says.

"And if you do, I'll support what ever decision that you make." I say.

"I'm glad that I married you." He says. He then kisses me. At that moment I feel the babies kick.

"Troy, the twins just kicked." I say. I then place his hands on my stomach so that he can feel as well.

"They must like it when we kiss." He says. He then kisses me again.

"Or they could be like the other kids when we kiss and yell out gross." I say.

"That's true." He says. "We have the most immature children."

"Three of them are still in middle school." I point out.

"That's true." He says. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, wildcat." I say. "Who would have thought that we would have six children."

"If someone had told me that back when we were in high school I would have thought that they were crazy." He says.

"Do you regret it?" I ask.

"No." He says. "Do you?"

"No, I love each of our children." I say. "Even the two that I have yet to meet." I then place my hand on my stomach.

"We probably need to start figuring out names for them." He says as he kisses my stomach.

"I know, I was hoping that we would get this taken care of shortly." I say.

"Well, we still have some time." He says.

"We have twelve weeks." I say.

"Ok, so we are talking about four months?" He asks.

"Yeah." I say. "Their due date is June 18th."

"Oh, that's not long from now at all." He says. "And I can't wait to meet them."

"I can't as well." I say with a smile. We continue to talk for a little while. I think that it was good to get his mind off of everything that is sad.

**_Jessica's Pov_**

After school is over, I am walking down the hall. Sharpay then walks over to me, I am about to fall asleep so I hope that she isn't asking me if I have thought about singing at her wedding. "Jess, I have something that I want to tell you." She says.

"What is it?" I ask.

"I wanted to let you know that you and Chris got the leads in the musical." She says.

"Are you sure, we both don't have any musical experience at all." I say.

"I know, but your voices were by far the best." She says. "Besides you both have the chemistry that we need for the leads to have."

"What is the musical even about?" I ask.

"You will find out tomorrow at rehearsal right after school in the drama room." She says.

"Ok, have you told Chris yet?" I ask.

"Yes, and he was speechless when I told him, I think that he was excited." She says. "Well anyhow, I will give you everything that you need tomorrow afternoon." She then walks off. I can't believe that we got the leads. I was thinking that maybe we would have a minor part, I don't know if I am ready for something like this just yet. I then walk out to the parking lot and see Chris sitting in his car. I walk over to him.

"Did you hear?" He asks.

"Yes." I say. "I'm terrified."

"I am too." He says. "But we'll be fine. It isn't until the last week of school which is in like ten weeks."

"That's true, but we don't know the first thing about being in a musical." I say. "Well, I'm sure that we will get all of the help that we will need." He says. "She won't send us out on stage unprepared."

"That's true." I say. "I wish that we had gotten everything that we needed today instead of tomorrow."

"I know." He says. "At least we will start learning the songs tomorrow."

"Yeah." I say. I then get into my car and drive over to the middle school and pick up Zach.

"So how was school?" He asks.

"It was fine." I say. "What about you?"

"It was alright, I almost fell asleep in class." He says.

"You know that you didn't have to go to school if you didn't want to." I say.

"I know, I just figured that if you were than I should as well." He says.

"It was probably a smart move wasn't it." I say.

"Yeah." He says. "Caleb and I have a English test tomorrow and we reviewed in class today."

"See sometimes it pays to do the hard thing in the long run." I say.

* * *

**So, what did you guys think? I hope that this chapter wasn't too sad. I didn't want for it to be that way! Did you guys like that I added a T&amp;G moment? I would love to hear what you all thought. Also remember to check out the poll, I will be narrowing the names down soon, so please take time to give your input. **


	28. Chapter 28

The story only has a few chapters left! I can't thank you all enough for reading it.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

The past few weeks have been crazy. We have been practicing very hard for this musical to be perfect. I am scared that I will not live up to Sharpay's expectations. To make things worse, we have finals coming up.  
So my days have been like this: School, play practice, come home and study, and then go to bed. It's the same cycle for the past week. Luckily exams come a week before the play does. This then would give me time to breath a sigh of relief. When I walk into practice I see Ryan and Kelsi standing there. What are they doing here? I thought that they were still in New York. I then mind my own business and just go onto the stage.

"Alright, so I invited my brother and my sister in-law to help us out with our musical." Sharpay says. "Both of them work on Broadway productions and Ryan, my brother has even performed on Broadway. So please give them your undivided attention."

"Ok, so first of all I want to work with the leads, Jessica and Chris." Ryan says. "Everyone else go over to the piano to work with my amazingly talented wife, Kelsi." We then disperse. Chris and I walk over to Ryan.

"First off, do either of you have any dancing experience?" He asks.

"No." Chris says.

"Well, I took ballet when I was four, but I don't remember anything from it." I say.

"Ok, so we will be starting from ground zero." He says. "Which is no problem. I sort of like challenges like this."

"Ok, so what kind of dancing will we be doing?" Chris asks.

"That is a good question." He says. "I have many ideas, and I can't wait to teach you the choreography that I have in mind." We then start. I am not the best in the world, but I hope that Ryan has a ton of patience.  
If not, he will need it desperately.

"Don't you think that this is a little much for a high school musical?" Chris asks Ryan.

"No, I know that to you guys it seems like it is going to be annoying, but trust me it will be spectacular." He says. "Now go back to the beginning." We then rehearse for a little bit longer. After some time we are done.

"So tomorrow do either of you have a free period?"

"We both do during third period." I say.

"Which is at what time?" Ryan asks.

"Ten o'clock." Chris says.

"Ok, how about we work some more tomorrow in the practice room." Ryan says. "I know that both of you can sing, but I want you both to be performers."

"Ok, we will meet you there tomorrow at ten." I say.

"Awesome, see you both in the morning." Ryan says. We both then leave together.

"So, how did you feel about all of the dancing?" Chris asks.

"It was fun, but I am not a dancer." I say.

"I feel the same way." He says. "And I feel like Ryan wants us to be as good as some of the people on Broadway."

"Maybe we could just do one big dance number and then keep it very simple for the rest, like let us just play around with it and be ourselves." I say.

"I agree, but it's Ryan." He says. "He is hard to reason with."

"Not nearly as bad as his sister though." I say.

"That's true." He says. "And then we probably will have to work with Kelsi on the songs just to make sure that they are perfect, especially since she wrote the music."

"She did, how did you find that out?" I ask.

"Her name was on some of the sheet music." He says.

"Oh, I wasn't paying attention I guess." I say.

"It's alright, that is normally how I am." He says.

We both then laugh. After a little while, I go home. When I walk in the door there is no one at home. I then go upstairs and start working on my homework. Ever since my dad has signed that contract, he has been busy. They are already advertising that he is a part of the team. He has had to do interviews with sports center, and do so many things. As soon as the team is done for the season, he will start practicing with them. I secretly hope that they go extremely far in the playoffs so that I will see my dad for a longer period of time. Then again, I will be in the same state that he is in, but he will be traveling all over the country. After a little bit I hear my dad and brothers coming in the door. I then work some more on my homework. Then Zane comes barging through my door.

"Would you play basketball with us?" He asks.

"You already have enough to play." I say.

"No, Caleb has baseball practice." He says. "Would you please play?"

"I don't know." I say. "I have some homework left to do."

"Please." He says. He looks at me with his brown eyes that are way too cute.

"Ok, fine, but only a quick one." I say. I then follow him downstairs. We end up playing a two on two game. Zach and I against dad and Zane.

"Ok, so the first team to make twenty points wins." Dad says.

"Ok, that shouldn't take too long." I say.

We then start the game. Zach has the ball and passes it off to me, I go in for a shot and miss, Zach gets the rebound and makes a basket. Then dad gets the ball and goes in for a layup and makes it. For a while it just goes back and forth like this. Finally the score is tied at eighteen to eighteen. I have the ball, I pass it off to Zach. Zach then dribbles down the court he acts like he is going in for a layup. Zane then gets on him. He then fakes and passes the ball to me, I then get quick on my feet and go in for a goal and we win. The next few days pass by slowly. It is awful all that we have to go through for this musical to go flawless, I had no idea what was involved in this. I then lean my head back once rehearsals are over with. "You're tired?" Chris asks. He then sits down beside me on the ground.  
"Yeah." I say. "Between rehearsals and school I am wiped out."

"I know the feeling." He says. "And Ryan's choreography doesn't help anything."

"I agree." I say. "But I guess that he just wants to prove something to his school."

"Maybe I guess." He says. "Well, I'm going to go ahead and go on home, I am exhausted." He then starts to walk off. He then pulls something out of his pocket. "Oh, before I forget this is for you. You don't have to open it right now."

"Ok." I say. He then hands me a letter and then walks off. I then put the letter into my bag and leave the theater and head on home. When I get home, I go upstairs and start on my homework. I can't help but wonder what is in the letter. After much hesitation, I pull the letter out of my bag, and open it up. It says;

_Dear Jessica,_

_ So there is prom coming up, and I was wondering if you would do me the honor of taking you as my date. _

_Your Friend, Christopher Danforth_

_P.S. A little birdie told me that you liked hand-written notes._

I then smile after reading the note. That is super sweet! I can't believe that he took the time to write the letter. It is a perfect promposal. I then pull out my phone and call him.

"Hey." He says.

"Hey, so I read your note." I say. "It was very sweet! I can't believe that you thought to do something like this."

"So what is your answer?" He asks.

"What do you think?" I ask.

"No." He says. I laugh.

"No, my answer is yes." I say.

"I was kidding about you saying no, anyhow." He says.

"I know." I say. "You are so crazy."

"Well, I'm going to be an even crazier prom date." He says.

"You are right about that one. "I say. "Well, I need to go this homework isn't going to get done on it's own."

"Alright, I'll talk to you later." He says.

"Alright." I say. "Bye."

I then hang up. I am so excited to be going to prom with Chris. I figured that at some point he would ask, but he picked a very sweet way. It seems like something out of a movie or book. I can't believe that he thought to do this all on his own. It is so precious! When my mom comes home, I run down the stairs and go to my mom. I then hand her the note.

"What's this?" She asks.

"Just read it." I say. She then reads it and smiles.

"That is beyond sweet." She says.

"I know, I still can't believe that he came up with this on his own." I say.

"I know, boys sometimes surprise you." She says.

"Well, he definitely did." I say.

"Well, what are you thinking of wearing to prom with him?" She asks.

"I not know." I say.  
"Well, how about in a little bit we can go shopping and see if we can find something." She says.

"Ok, that sounds like a good idea." I say. After a little bit, we head out to a dress shop. When we walk in, I am overwhelmed by all of the different types of dresses that there are.

"So, is there anything I can help you with?" The sales lady asks.

"We are looking for a dress for my daughter's prom." My mom says.

"Well, we have a huge selection of dresses." She says. "Do you have an idea of what you want?"

"I don't know." I say.

"Well, I have a few ideas, so how about we start trying on and see if we can get you something today." She says.

Before I know it, I am in the dressing room trying on dresses. The first one I try on is a purple ball gown. It has sequins at the top and it has a tulle skirt. I then walk out of the dressing room.

"Jess, that is really pretty." My mom says. I then look in the mirror.

"So what do you think of this one?" The sales lady asks me.

"I don't really like this one." I say.

"What about it do you not like?" She asks.

"It is too big." I say.

"Ok, well we can rule out ball gowns." She says. I then go back into the dressing room and try on a few more dresses. Every dress that I try on is either too gaudy and flamboyant or I don't like the color.

After a little while, I try on a simple black mermaid style dress. It has a sweetheart neckline and just a small amount of beading on the bodice. When I walk out, my mom smiles.

"So, mom, what do you think?" I ask.

"I love it, it looks so beautiful on you." She says. "What do you think of it?"

"This is the one." I say. "I really love it."

"Alright, well that was much easier than I thought that it would be." She says.

"Ok, well I'll ring you up and then you can go on your way." The sales lady says.

"Do you think that Chris will like it?" I ask.

"I think that he will think that you look beautiful in your dress." Mom says. "I like that it is simple and doesn't take away from your beauty."

"Thanks mom." I say. After we pay for the dress we go home. I am so excited for prom. I can't wait to wear it!

* * *

**Next Time: Prom! Also next week I'll give you guys an update on the twins names. I'm super excited, please go ahead if you haven't already and vote for what names you want to see. The poll is located on my profile. As always tell me what you think, I'm am always interested. Or if you have any questions or comments feel free to let me know. **


	29. Chapter 29

**_So sorry that it has been a while since I have updated! I will try to make it up to you all by updating soon. Anyhow please continue to read the story, and remember to let me know what you think of it! _**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

A couple of weeks have gone by. Tonight is the night of prom, and I couldn't be more excited. Once I get into my dress and fix my makeup I am ready to go. Tonight is going to be perfect. After a little while, I walk down the stairs. My brothers see me.

"Wow, you look beautiful." Zach says.

"Thank you." I say with a smile. "I just hope that Chris will think so as well."

"He does." Chris says. I then turn around and see him standing behind me.

"When did you get here?" I ask.

"I just walked in." He says.

"Well, you look handsome." I say.

"And you look amazing." He says. He then kisses my cheek. After a few minutes we get into his car and head off to prom. When we get to the venue it looks amazing the theme is the roaring twenties, and I feel like I have gone back in time. The music is even from that era as well. After some time has gone by, we mingle and hang out with our friends. Then after a few minutes a slow song starts to play.

"Would you like to dance?" Chris asks.

"I thought that you would never ask." I say. He then takes me by the hand and we start dancing.

"It's hard to believe that in just a little over a week we will be graduating." He says.

"Yeah, but I don't want it to end." I say.

"High school?" He asks.

"I don't know, everything." I say. "I feel like this year has gone by-"

"Too fast." He says. "I feel the same way."

"I wish that it would just slow down." I say.

"Well, we have the rest of our lives ahead of us." He says.

"I know, but life is just going to get harder." I say.

"I know, but we both have college ahead of us." He says. "And you have more than I do."

"I guess that you are right." I say. We then continue to talk for a while. Before we know it, we have been dancing for hours and it is time for the final dance. Chris takes me by the hand and we go out onto the dance floor.

"So, I don't know about you, but tonight has been one of the best nights of my life." He says.

"I agree." I say. "I almost wish that this night wouldn't end."

"I know, but it doesn't have to end so soon." He says. He then spins me.

"You can dance better than you say you can." I say.

"I worked a little extra with Ryan." He says. "Well, it was worth it." I say.

"I agree." He says. "You were worth it to me."

"You are incredibly sweet." I say. "There is no way that I could ever make it up to you."

"I could think of ways." He says.

"Of course you could." I say with a smirk. Once the dance is over we head out to the parking lot. When we get to his car he opens the door for me and I get in. He is such a gentlemen. We then leave the school.

"So do you want me to take you home, or we can do something else?" He asks.

"I'm fine with whichever, as long as I am spending time with you." I say.

"Ok." He says. We then go back to his house. When we get there we go downstairs to his basement that is a theater room and look for a movie. "Do you want to change?" He asks.

"Yeah." I say. "Wait, I didn't bring any clothes."

"Yeah you do, you left some clothes here last week when you came over to go swimming." He says.

"Oh, I didn't remember that." I say. "Where are they at?"

"In the laundry room." He says. "My mom washed them."

"Ok." I say. We both then go upstairs and get changed into something more comfortable. We then go back downstairs and put in a movie.  
After a little while I feel like I am going to fall asleep. I then snuggle up to Chris. At some point evidently I fell asleep. I open my eyes and realize that it is morning. I then hit Chris on the arm.

"Chris, why didn't you wake me up?" I ask.

"What time is it?" He asks. I then pull out my phone.

"Six o'clock in the morning." I say.

"Oh, you're parents are going to kill me." He says. "And then mine will bring me back from the dead and kill me again."

"Chris, we will just tell the truth and everything will be alright." I say.

"Let's hope so." He says. "Because this looks pretty bad."

"I know, but we really didn't do anything." I say.

"Exactly." He says. I then hear my phone ring. "Who is it?"

"My dad." I say.

"Oh boy, this isn't good at all." He says. "Did he know that you were coming over?"

"Yeah, but I was supposed to be home three hours ago." I say. I then answer the phone. "Hi, dad."

"Why aren't you at home?" He asks in a worried tone.

"Well, I went over to Chris's like I said, and we were watching a movie and I fell asleep." I say. "I'm super sorry."

"Ok, I was just worried that something had happened to you." He says.

"I am sorry." I say.

"I know, please come on home soon." He says.

"Ok, I will." I say. I then hang up.

"What did your dad say?" He asks.

"He was understanding about it." I say. "But he wants me to come home."

"Ok." He says. "I will take you home right now."

"Thanks, and I hope that you won't get into any trouble." I say.

"I doubt that I will." He says. "Let's just get going before anyone gets up."

"Ok." I say. We then head on back to my house.

* * *

_Update on the Twins names: _

**_Son: Mason, Wesley, or Connor_**

**_Daughter: Brie, Brynn, or Lily_**

_So what will the twins names be? Let me know which name you like the best, or if you have another suggestion (I am open to those as well) :) _


	30. Chapter 30

**I thought that since I go finished with this chapter so soon that I would update early for you all! I hope that you enjoy this chapter. Remember to R&amp;R :) **

* * *

**Chapter Thirty**

We are just a a day from the opening show of the spring musical. I am excited, and yet nervous at the same time. I just hope that I do not mess things up during the performance.

"Jess, are you alright?" Chris asks.

"Yeah." I say.

"You're nervous about tomorrow night aren't you?" He asks.

"Is it that obvious?" I ask.

"Just a little, but don't worry I promise that you've got this." He says.

"I hope so." I say.

"Alright, guys come over here." Sharpay says. "We have our final rehearsal today, but no worries, I know that each and every one of you can do this. So on that note, let's start practice."

After a while, we are finished with practice. I then feel like I am about to collaspe. I am so tired from all of the dancing and singing.

"Alright, good job everyone." Sharpay says. "Please be here by no later than four thirty so that if you need to warm up you can and that you will have plenty of time to get dressed and get makeup put on. Alright,now go home and get a good night's rest."

"You did great during rehearsal." Ryan says. "Both of you have really improved."

"Thanks man." Chris says.

"Thank you." I say. "We have been working with the best choreographer."

"Jess, you are going to make me blush." He says. "But you two are what makes me enjoy doing what I do." Ryan then walks off.  
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow." Chris says.

"See yah." I say. I then give him a hug and go off to my car. I am still uncertain of how tomorrow night's performance is going to go. What if I freeze up and mess up the entire show? Or what if something worse happens? When I walk in the door of my house, I see my brothers playing video games. They look like they are having a great time.

"Jess, how about you try?" Zane asks.

"I'm not that good at video games." I say.

"Neither is Zach, but he still plays." Caleb says.

"Hey, I heard that." Zach says as he walks into the room.

"Fine, I'll try." I say. Zane then hands me the video game controller. "So what game is this anyways?"

"Some zombie game." He says.

"Great, so I have to shoot zombies?" I ask. "Those games are so confusing."

"Come on, just one game, please?" Caleb asks.

"Fine, but it will probably be a short one." I say.

"That's fine with me." Caleb says. We then start playing. I at first am not very good, but then after a couple of minutes get the hang of it. In fact, I end up winning.

"Do you play when we aren't at home?" Zane asks.

"You really did a great job." Caleb says.

"Thanks." I say.

"And for the record, I let you win." Caleb says.

"No you didn't." I say. "You're just saying that."

"Yeah, I guess that you won, but maybe it was just beginner's luck." He says. "I challenge you to a rematch."

"No, not right now at least." I say. "I'm super tired and just want to relax."

"Alright, I understand." He says. "You are a tough opponent."

"Thank you." I say. "And so are you." The boys then go back to playing. I then walk off, and see if there is anything that I can do. I then see my mom in the kitchen.  
_"Do you need any help?" I ask._

"Sure, that would be great." She says. I then help her out some. "So how is the play going?"

"It is going well." I say. "Rehearsal went great, but I'm so nervous."

"I used to feel that way every time I performed." She says. "I completely understand how you are feeling."

"You do?" I ask.

"Yes." She says. "But I know that you will do great tomorrow night."

"You really think so?" I ask.

"I do." She says. "You've put so much effort into this, and I was talking with Sharpay and Kelsi, and they couldn't stop talking about how well you and Chris were doing."

"Really?" I ask.

"Yeah, they were so proud of you, especially since you both have no prior experience." She says.

"That was very sweet of them." I say.

"It really was sweet of them." She says. "See there is nothing to worry about."

"Let's hope not." I say. We then continue to talk for a while longer.

"Thank you for your help." She says.

"It's no problem, it is so much better than playing video games." I say.

"I don't see how your brothers sit around all day and play those video games." She says.

"I know." I say. We both then laugh.

* * *

**So remember to check out the updated polls on my profile, I want your input. Let me know what you think of the story so far. Is there anything that you would like to see? If so let me know...until next time_! _**


	31. Chapter 31

**Hey guys, I hope that you have enjoyed reading this story just as much as I have enjoyed writing it. There are only a few chapters left! I am considering writing a sequel, what do you guys think? Let me know! Also remember to check out the poll on my profile to choose the names of the twins. Or if you have another name selection just let me know. I hope that you have a wonderful day :) **

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-One**

Tonight will be my acting debut. I am beyond nervous. I don't want to ruin the entire production because I puke on everyone. Or something worse might happen. I can't bare the humiliation that could possibly happen tonight. When I get to the school, I go start to my dressing room and start getting ready. After a little while, I hear a knock on my door.

"Come in." I say. Chris then walks in.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing." He says. He then kisses me.

"Well, I'm a little nervous." I say.

"Well, I think that you will be great out there tonight." He says.

"Thanks." I say. "So will you."

"Thanks." He says. "Well, I guess that I am off to get ready. See you soon."

"Alright." I say. He then leaves. I then sit there for a minute. Then Sharpay walks into the room to approve my hair and makeup and make sure that I am ready for tonight's performance.

"You look great, and have nothing to worry about." She says.

"Were you ever nervous the first time that you performed?" I asked.

"Well, I grew up performing." She says. "But your mom the first musical she was in had such horrible stage fright that I thought that I was going to have to go on in her place, but your mom even under all of her fears did a phenomenal job on stage."

"Really." I say.

"Yes." She says. "And so will you."

"Thanks." I say. "Alright, well the show starts in five minutes." She says. "I'll be out in the audience."

"Ok." I say. She then leaves. I then let out a sigh. I am so nervous. At least the first part I'm not alone. My solo performance isn't until later. I then walk out of my dressing room and go over to where I am supposed to be waiting.

"You ready?" Chris asks. I shake my head no. "You'll be fine." He then squeezes my hand. "You've got this."

"I can't go out there." I say. "Why not, you've been working on this for weeks." He says. "You know the songs and the script like the back of your hand. I bet that you even know my lines."

"I think that I am going to be sick." I say. I then run off to the bathroom. Chris then follows behind.

"Jess, you've got this." He says.

"But there are a ton of people out there." I say.

"Don't look at them, just pretend like it is just you and me on that stage." He says. "There isn't anyone else out there, just don't look out into the crowd."

"Ok." I say.

"So do you think that you're ready to go out onto the stage?" He asks.

"Yeah." I say. We then walk out hand and hand.

"Alright, well I'm going to go to my side of the stage, remember what I just said." He says. He then kisses me on the cheek. I then take a deep breath. When I get my cue to go onto the stage, I feel a great sense of apprehension, but then I look over at Chris and a big smile comes across his face. We then do the number without any flaws. The applause from the crowd is amazing. After a little while, I get a break. I then go back to my dressing room to touch up my makeup and do a quick costume change. I then go back out for my solo. I really feel like I am going to throw up, but I then find my parents out of the masses of people in the audience. They both have a smile on their faces. That is just the encouragement that I need to make it through the song. Before I know it, it is time for the finale number of the musical. This song is one of my favorites that we do in the entire production. The song is called 'I Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You'. The music begins playing and I get ready for my cue to begin singing. (AN: **Bold= Chris; **_Italic= Jessica; Underline/Italic= Both )_

** Ya never know what you're gonna Feel, oh Ya never see it comin' suddenly it's Real**

_ Oh, never even crossed my mind, no That I would ever end up here Tonight_

_ All things change When you don't expect them to No one knows What the future's gonna do I never even noticed That you've been there all along_

_ I can't take me eyes off of you I know you feel the same way too,_  
_Yeah I can't take my eyes off of you All it took... Was one look For a dream come true_

**Yeah, we got a good thing goin' on**

_ Oh, right here is right where we Belong_

_You never really know what you Might find Now All I see is you and I You're everything I never knew That I've been looking for_

_ Can't take my eyes off of you Oh, oh, oh yeah So let the music play Can't take my eyes off of you Yeah, the feeling's gettin' stronger And I never ever felt this way_

_Alright, I see everything In your eyes... Oh yeah Alright, somethings happening 'Cause everyone's around but You're the only one I see_

_I can't take my eyes off of you Feeling like I never knew I can't take my eyes off of you From the start... Got my heart Yeah, you do Can't take my eyes off of you_

When the song is over, Chris gets caught up in the moment and kisses me. After a brief moment, we exit the stage. The crowd's applause is loud, I can hear the cheers from back stage.

"Good job." Chris mouths to me.

"You too." I say with a smile.

"Guys, that was fantastic." Ryan says. "You both blew me away. Good job on remembering the choreography. I know that I pushed you both very hard, but all of that work payed off in the end."

"Thanks." I say.

"In fact, I would love to see you both on Broadway one day." Ryan says.

"I doubt that will happen." Chris says.

"Well, you both would be great." He says.

"Thank you very much." I say. Ryan then walks off. The rest of the night, we celebrate the fact that we did a good job tonight. My parents are so proud of me, and that means the world to me. I am always aiming to please them. They really mean a lot to me, and I know that they always have high expectations.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32:**

The performances got better as each night of the weekend went by. We did a total of four performances. By the last one, I felt more at ease about the entire thing. I felt like I could do anything I put my mind too.  
Now, I have new task ahead of me. I was told today that I am the valedictorian. I'm terrified to have to speak to my senior class. What am I going to say? What if I say the wrong thing, or better yet what if I make a fool of myself up there? I couldn't do that. My parents couldn't be anymore proud of me. I however, can't be anymore nervous than I currently am. I already have so much apprehension about my future and then it just makes things worse that I have to present a speech to my student body. Maybe very few people will be paying any attention, and then it will make things easier on me.

"So I heard the good news, congrats." Chris says.

"I suppose." I say. "You're not the one having to give a speech."

"I probably wouldn't do well on one anyhow." He says.

"But you wouldn't freeze up in front of everyone." I say.

"You'll be fine, just speak from the heart." He says. "I know that you of all people can present those final words of inspiration to all of us."

"Thanks." I say. "I've been working on my speech some."

"Really?" He asks. "Could I take a look?" I then show him what I have wrote so far.

"So, what do you think?" I ask.

"It's perfect." He says. "Just like you are." I just smile. "What in the world did I do to deserve someone as great as you?"

"I could say the same thing about you, Mr. Danforth." I say.

"Now, you're going to make me blush." He says. "Well, I've got to run. My little sister needs to get picked up from school." He then kisses me.

"Goodbye." I say.

"Bye." He says. He then leaves. I then soak in the words of wisdom that he gave me. Sometimes that kid, actually does know what he is talking about. Who knew that he would. A couple of hours go by, and I am in my room working on my speech. I only have a few short days to compile everything that I want to say. I then hear a knock on my door. Followed by Zach walking in.

"Hey." He says.

"Hey, do you need something?" I ask.

"No, I just wanted to personally congratulate you." He says. "It's a big honor to be number one in your class. I hope to do the same when I graduate in four years."

"I think that you will, you're incredibly smart." I say. "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks." He says. "You always know the right things to say."

"Well, let's hope that I will be able to on Saturday." I say.

"Oh, yeah, you have to give a speech don't you?" He asks.

"Yeah, and I hate being in front of people." I say.

"I know, but weren't you scared to sing in front of others and despite that you did the musical." He says. "If the same girl can do that, I bet she can go out there and give a speech, and rock it at that. Just like she did her performance in the spring musical."

"You really think so?" I ask.

"I know so." He says. "You're the one that taught me to always be brave, and have the courage to do things no matter what, and sometimes people need to hear their own advice reiterated."

"I guess that I needed too hear that." I say. "I just need a little boost of confidence, and I think that you just sparked the flame that I needed to have to do it. You're a great little brother, who is wise beyond your years. I know that one day you will be out there doing something great, and I will be standing there with a smile on my face as I watch you accomplish it."

"That is very sweet of you to say that." He says. I then give him a hug. We then continue to talk for some time. I really am going to miss him so much when I attend Stanford in the fall.

"Well, I really appreciate everything that you do." I say. "Sometimes I think that you're my older brother."

"Thanks." He says. "So do you have the speech done?"

"Not quite, but I think that it won't take me long to finish it." I say. "I've got a lot of ideas of what I'm going to be talking about."

"Well, if you need someone to run them by, I'm all ears." He says.

"I'll remember that. "I say. He then leaves me room. Once he is gone, I work more on my speech. I am now starting to become excited about being able to give a speech. Maybe I have nothing to fret over, maybe just maybe this will go well instead of blowing up in my face. Sometimes the things that I am afraid of never seem to happen like I think that they will, so maybe this will be the exact same way.

* * *

The next few days go by at rocket speed, before I know it, it is graduation day. I am excited and nervous at the exact same time, it is an annoying problem. At this moment, I am in my room getting ready for my big day.  
I start with my hair. After a little while, my mom comes into my room and sits down on my bed.

"So, are you excited?" She asks.

"Yeah." I say. "I think so anyhow."

"I remember the day that I graduated." She says. "It feels like it was just yesterday."

"I guess that you know what it feels like to have this excited yet nervous feeling pulsing through your entire body, and there is nothing that you can do to control it." I say.

"Yes, that was the same feeling that I had." She says. "So is your speech ready?"

"Yeah." I say. "I just hope that I can say the right things."

"You will." She says. "I believe that you can do anything that you put your mind up to. You are such a smart and brilliant young lady, and I couldn't be prouder of you than I currently am."

"Thank you." I say.

"No problem." She says. "Now, I'm going to leave you alone, so that you can get ready." She then leaves my room. I then finish getting ready. Today, I am finishing one chapter, but just as this one closes a new one will begin, and I couldn't be more elated than I am at the moment.

* * *

**Hey, so what did you guys think? I would love to hear all of your comments and suggestions! Anyhow, the story is nearing the finish line...I hope that you all will continue to read this story.**

**Also please remember to vote for the baby names, I want your inputs as much as possible.**

**Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, would you all like to see a sequel, if so let me know :)**


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33:**

I walk over to the crowded lawn where our graduation ceremony will be taking place. The weather couldn't be anymore perfect than it is right now. I then go over and find Chris and the rest of my classmates. They are getting lined up for our entrance.

"Are you ready?" Chris whispers to me.

"I think so, but I guess that I'll have to be." I say.

"You've got this." He says. "I believe in you." He then squeezes my hand.

"Let's hope so." I say with a smile. We then walk in. I have to go onto the stage along with the principal and the salutatorian. When I take my seat I feel more nervous than I have ever felt before in my life. I feel it throughout my entire body. My nerves are all a mess. I feel worse than I did when I was on stage for the first performance of the musical just last week. The principal goes up and talks for a brief moment, and then introduces the salutatorian, Amber Johnson, first. She speaks, and I keep hoping that she will take a long time, and maybe then there really won't be a ton of time left so that I won't be expected to speak for very long. Unfortuantly, that is not the case. She doesn't take very long at all, and before I know it she is done. To make it worse, she did a great job. I can't follow that, I'm not going to be able to even give a speech half as good as Amber did, I can't do it. There is no way that I can do this. Why did I have to make such good grades. This isn't an honor, it is torture! The principal then goes back up to the stage.  
"Alright, it is my pleasure to present our valedictorian." He starts with. "Her name is ms. Jessica Renee Bolton. She is the daughter of Troy and Gabriella Bolton. She was captain of the basketball team, and most recently was in the school musical. She plans to attend Stanford University this fall and major in pre-med." I then am supposed to go to the podium. I walk over to it. I take one good look at the crowd. I instantly feel sick.

"I can't do this." I say in to the mic. For some reason, I can't do it, I then run off of the stage and get away from where the ceremony is taking place at. I can't do it, I just can't do it! I then feel like I am going to hypervenalate. I then out of the corner of my eye see Chris. He is running over towards me.

"Jess." He says. "You've got this."

"I can't do it." I say I then start crying. "All I can think about is that we are going to be so far from each other, and I'm going to miss you."

"Don't worry about that." He says.

"And then also, I can't talk in front of all those people staring at me." I say. "There are way too many people out there. I just can't do it, maybe we can just skip my part."

"Jess, they can't do that. I know that you have it in you and you will be is a huge honor." He says." Do what you did in the musical. Just look at me. I promise that regardless of what you say, I will have a smile on my face, and I'll be so proud of you."

"I don't think that I can do it." I say.

"Look, I know that you have it in you." He says. "Now come on, you've got this."

"Ok." I say. "I'll give it another go." "That's the girl that I fell in love with." He says. He then reaches out for my hand and we walk back to where the ceremony is being located at.

"You've got this." He then lets go of my hand as I walk onto the stage.

"Good afternoon students, faculty, staff, and parents." I start with. The next few moments I can't even remember what I said, it is almost as if someone else spoke for me. If it hadn't have been for Chris, I wouldn't have even been able to do it at all. When I am finished I take my seat next to Amber. Then the principal comes back up along with our guidance counselor and we are presented with our diplomas. They call each of us by name, starting with Allison Alexander. The names keep going by, and then it's my turn. After a while they call Chris and the list keeps going on until they finally reach the end. Then we are all finished up here. Now everything is real. We are officially done with high school! It is amazing that we accomplished something so great. After we move our tassels over and throw our caps in the air, I go and find Chris.

"You did wonderful." He says. "I knew that you could."

"Thanks." I say. "It was all because you believed in me."

"I would be a terrible friend if I didn't now wouldn't I." He says. I then give him a hug.

"I have a feeling that our parents are going to want to take pictures of us." I say.

"I know." He says. "Let's go find them."

"Ok." I say. After a minute we find Chris' parents and our parents friends, but mine are nowhere to be seen. "Congratualtions." Chad says. "Thanks." I say. "Where are my parents at?"

"Your mom went into labor." Taylor says.

"I thought that she wasn't due for like a month." I say.

"Well, sometimes things happen." She says.

"Ok, well I guess I'm going to head on to the hospital." I say.

"I'm coming with you." Chris says.

"Ok." I say. Chris and I then walk off together and get into his car and head onto the hospital. When we get to the hospital, we go over to the front desk and are able to get a room number. We then go into my mom's room.

"Hey." My dad says as we walk in.

"Hey." I say.

"I'm sorry that we missed seeing your speech." Mom says.

"It's alright." I say.

"She did a phenomenal job." Chris says.

"Thank you." I say.

"I'm sure that she did." Dad says. After a little while, Chris and I leave the room, and go into the waiting room where we find everyone else sitting. We then all sit out there and wait for a while.

"So how long do you think that it is going to be?" Zane asks.

"It all just depends." Kelsi says. "It could be a while, or not too long at all." We then sit out there and wait for a while. Emma then comes over and sits in my lap.

"Hey, cutie." I say.

"Hey." She says. "I'm so bored."

"I know." I say. "How about we go and get a snack."

"Ok." She says.

"Chris, do you want to come with us?" I ask.

"Sure." He says. We all then go find a coffee shop and order something. We then sit down for a little bit. We talk for some time. After a little while, Emma falls asleep.

"We probably should go back up there, or at least take her home." I say.

"Maybe." He says. "But I kind of like us just being alone."

"Well, your sister is asleep." I say.

"I know." He says. "I can't believe that we are finally done with East High."

"I know, it still hasn't sunk in that we are graduating." I say.

"Well, before you know it, you'll be heading off to Stanford and I'll be going to U of A." He says.

"I'm going to miss you so much." I say. "I wish that you could come with me."

"It's your dream, mine has always been since I was a little boy to attend the same university that my dad attended." He says. "I'll miss you, I know that I will, but we both will be following our dreams."

"That's true." I say. "And I know that no matter how far apart we are from each other that a piece of you will be in my heart."

"Same here." He says. "And the day that we part, it won't be goodbye, but rather see you soon."

"Yeah." I say. "You know something, I think that through everything I can honestly say that we have been in this thing together."

"We really are all in this together, wouldn't you say." He says.

"Yeah, I believe so." I say. "And this separation may prove to be a good thing for us, it may just make us stronger."

"My mom has always told me that absence makes the heart grow fonder." He says.

"And I hope that her words prove to be true." I say.

"Me too." He says. We then kiss. "I guess that we probably should get back up there and see if there is any update on your mom."

"Ok, I agree." I say. Chris then picks up Emma and we head back to the waiting room to see if there is any update. When we get into the room, there isn't any news. I hope that my mom is alright, but I know that things like this sometimes take a while. There isn't really a quick way to have a baby unless you are lucky. After about an hour or so, my dad walks into the room.

"So is there any news?" Zach asks.

"Well, you have a new little brother and sister." He says.

"Have you named them yet?" I ask.

"No, not yet." He says. "Jessica, would you like to come back and see them?"

"Sure." I say. "I would let you all come back but they have so many rules." He says. He then walks me back to the room. I see my mom and she looks very tired.

"Hey." I say.

"Hey, sweetheart." She says. She has one of the babies in her arms, and the nurse hands the other one to my dad.

"Jess, would you like to hold your little sister?"

"Yeah." I say with a smile. I then go over to my mom and she hands her to me. "She is so cute."

"We decided to name her Brie." Dad says.

"Just like I had suggested" I say.

"Yeah, we thought that you would like that a lot." Dad says. "Her official name will be Aubrie Danielle Bolton."

"Oh, that is so cute." I say. "And what about the other one?"

"We haven't fully decided." Mom says. "We thought about letting Zach decide, since Caleb helped us choose Zane's name, or help us to decide his name."

"That would be a good idea." I say.

"I'm going to go get him, and just sit in the waiting room for a little while." Dad says.

"Ok." Mom says. Dad then hands my little brother off to my mom.

"Could I switch now?" I ask.

"Sure." She says. We then switch.

"He's adorable too." I say. After a couple of minutes, Zach comes into the room. "Do you want to hold him?"

"I don't know, are you sure?" He asks. "I don't know what I'm doing."

"You'll be fine." Mom says. "If you feel more comfortable you can sit down."

"Ok." He says.

"Ok, just hold your arms out like I have mine." I say.

"Ok." He says. I then hand him the baby. "So what's this little guys name?"

"We haven't decided." Mom says. "What would you want to name him?"

"I need a few minutes to think." He says.

"You're fine." She says.

"So what's my little sister's name?" He asks.

"Her name is Aubrie Danielle." Mom says. "But she is going by Brie." Zach then looks at me.

"Isn't that what you wanted her to be named?" He asks.

"Yeah." I say with a smile.

"What about Connor." He says.

"I like that name." Mom says. "It is really cute."

"I agree." I say. After some time, it is decided what his name will be. His name is Connor Michael Bolton. Today, has been an eventful day. I graduated, and I also have two new siblings. That is a lot for one day, but it is awesome. I am also excited to finally have a little sister, something that I have always wanted! That really made my day turn into something special. I am so happy, I can't keep from smiling.

* * *

**So after weeks upon weeks of waiting you finally got to see the names of the twins. What did you guys think? I would love to hear what you guys thought as well as any other comments. **

**There are only a few chapters left! Until next time...remember to R&amp;R **


	34. Chapter 34

**So have you liked the story so far, I would love to hear any comments on anything. Just to let you know, the countdown to the end of this story is on. There will only be a few chapters left. Please R&amp;R :) **

* * *

**Chapter 34:**

The next couple of days go by, and my mom and the twins are out of the hospital and are at home. I have a feeling that it is going to be very noisy for a while, but it is something that I know that I will be alright with. I've been elated to hold my new siblings, and my parents are on cloud nine. These past few days have been great.  
As I try to lie asleep at night, I hear the ear-piercing sounds of crying coming from the bedroom two doors down the hall. I then sit up in my bed contemplating what I should do. Finally, after hearing the cries for a long while, I crawl out of my bed and go into their bedroom. I then pick up Brie and rock her in my arms, this soothes her enough to where she finally falls asleep. I then gently place her back into her crib and quietly tip toe out of the room. I then go to my room and get back into my bed. Hopefully that worked out well, I think to myself. About a minute later, I hear crying again. I just turn over in hopes that it will stop, and fortunately it does after some time. I am then able to sleep peacefully throughout the night. After a refreshing nights sleep, I wake up and go downstairs. I see my mom, she looks so tired. She must have had to wake up alot last night too, I think to myself. I then see my dad, and he looks just as bad off as my mom does. I feel really bad for them.

"Did the twins keep you both up last night?" I ask.

"Yeah, is it that obvious?" My mom asks.

"Connor, is the worst about waking up needing something." Dad says.

"I heard them some last night." I say. "I even went in there and rocked Brie off to sleep last night."

"Thank you." Mom says. "You're a big help. I think that I'm going to try to get some sleep. Do you mind helping out some more?"

"Not at all." I say.

"Perfect." She says. "I already made up some bottles, they are in the refrigerator, just heat them up a little bit, alright."

"Ok." I say.

"Thank you so much." She says. She then goes off to her room to get a few hours of sleep.

"Jess, do you mind if I try to get some sleep as well?" Dad asks.

"Sure, I can handle them both." I say.

"Thanks, you're a lifesaver." He says.

"No problem at all." I say.

He then leaves to go get a couple of hours of sleep. I then am left alone to take care of two infants, but maybe they will sleep for a majority of the time. If not, things might get a little bit hard to handle. After some time, Brie falls asleep, so I then place her in her basinet that is in the living room. I then gently rock Connor until he eventually falls asleep too. I then put him to sleep too. I then make myself some coffee and sit down on the couch. After a little while, I almost fall asleep. I am quickly woken up be the sounds of Brie crying. I then walk over to her, and realize that she is hungry, so I get her bottle out of the fridge and stick it in the microwave for a minute and then get it out, and give it to her. She then stops crying. Thank goodness, I think to myself. After a few minutes, I burp her, and then put her back in the bassinet. I then see Connor, he is awake and has a big smile on his face. Good thing, he isn't crying. I then walk over to him and smile. Not too long after he starts crying. I then pick him up and give him a bottle too. A few minutes go by, and I smell a terrible odor coming from not one baby, but both. I then pick them both up, and walk into their room. I then place Brie on one of the changing tables and place Connor on the other one. Zach then walks into the room.

"Do you need some help?" He asks.

"That would be nice." I say. "They both decided to poop in their diapers at the same time."

"I'll help." He says. "I don't know how to change diapers though."

"I'll do Brie's and you can watch." I say. "And then you can do Connor's, but don't worry, I'll stay in here to help you if you need it."

"Thanks." He says. I then start changing Brie's diaper. It smells so bad, but it doesn't take too long.

"Alright, your turn." I say as I wash my hands.

"Ok." He says. He then attempts to change Connor. At first he is a little rough, but he figures out how to do it.

"See, was that so hard." I say.

"No, not really." He says as he picks up Connor.

"Now, you'll be able to help mom and dad out some." I say.

"Yeah." He says.

"And trust me, they will appreciate it." I say. "I was watching them because mom and dad were exhausted."

"That was sweet." He says. "I want to help you out."

"Ok." I say. "Right now, I think that we are good. Brie is almost asleep, and it looks like Connor is too."

"So just put them in their cribs?" He asks.

"Yeah." I say. I then gently put Brie in her's and Zach puts Connor in his. We then walk out quietly and close the door. "Thank you for the help."

"No problem." He says. We then go into the living room and relax for a little while. After a few minutes, my dad comes into the living room.

"Jess, did you have any problems with the twins?" He asks.

"No." I say. "But I did get some extra help, from Zach."

"Thank you." Dad says to Zach.

"It's no problem at all." He says.

"I know that your mom and I both appreciated getting some extra sleep." Dad says. "In fact, your mom is still asleep."

"Well, I'm happy to help." I say.

"Me too." Zach says.

"I'm glad to know that I have two kids that I can count on to help us out." Dad says.

"Maybe, the other two will help at some point as well." I say. "Especially when I am gone."

"We'll see." Dad says. "But I'm not going to expect it."

We then talk for a little while, and it is good to be able to do that. I know that everything is different, but life is constantly changing and evolving. If life was the stagnant, what would be the point in that. We wouldn't see anything new happen. We would all just be stuck, but we wouldn't know any different. I for one, like things to change at a normal pace. It makes life more exciting.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35:**

The past few weeks have went by rather quickly. I can't believe that my summer is almost over with. It is August, August 18th to be exact. I will be starting in just a month at Stanford. It is crazy, but today isn't about me.  
It is about a couple that means a great deal to me. Today is Sharpay and Zeke's wedding. The decor is perfect, which doesn't surprise me, since Sharpay pays attention to every little detail. It is so beautiful at the outdoor ceremony. I am finishing getting ready for today, I have to sing with Chris and I am very excited about it.  
I then slip on my silver high heels that go perfectly with my pale pink dress. Within the next few minutes it is time for the wedding to begin. I then go and take a seat off to the side with Chris. "You look beautiful." He says.  
"Thank you." I say. "You look very handsome." "Thanks." He says. We sit there while the wedding party comes down the aisle. The bridesmaids consist of my mom, Taylor, Kelsi, and Martha. The groomsmen consist of my dad, Chad, Ryan, and Jason. When they make it to their places on the lawn, Sharpay walks out. She looks beautiful in her semi-fitted wedding gown. It is lace with some sparkles. She looks picture perfect. After some time has gone by, it is time for them to exchange their vows.  
"Zeke, you are the love of my life." Sharpay starts with. "I've made many mistakes in my past, but you were always there for me. When I got the divorce papers you were the first person I called, and you answered right away. You were there to comfort me when I needed it the most. Today, I vow to love you always no matter what happens. I vow to be the best wife that I can be. I vow to be there for you at any given moment. Lastly, I vow to stand by you through the best of times and the worst of times." "Sharpay, ever since the first day I met you, I knew that we were going to be together." Zeke says. "I just didn't know that it would be such a long wait, but it was worth it. Today, I vow to be the best husband that I can be. I vow to give you and your son the best that I can give. I vow to stay with you whether your sick or healthy and through the good times and the bad times. Lastly, I vow to love you to the end of time." Once they exchange their vows, it is time for Chris and I go to up and sing. We walk over to the mic, and the orchestra begins to play the song " God Bless the Broken Road" by Rascall Flatts. (AN: _Italic= Chris, _Normal= Jess, and **Bold= Both**)

_I set out on a narrow way many years ago Hoping I would find true love along the broken road But I got lost a time or two Wiped my brow and kept pushing through_

_I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you_

**That every long lost dream lead me to where you are Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars Pointing me on my way into your loving arms**

**This much I know is true That God blessed the broken road That led me straight to you **_Yes it did_

I think about the years I spent just passing through I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you But you just smile and take my hand You've been there you understand It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true

**Every long lost dream led me to where you are And others who broke my heart they were like northern stars Pointing me on my way into your loving arms This much I know it's true That God blessed the broken road That led me straight to you Yeah**

**And now I'm rolling home Into my lover's arms This much I know is true That God blessed the broken road That led me straight to you**

**That God blessed the broken road Ooh, ooh That led me straight to you.**

When we get finish singing, we take our seats and the ceremony concludes. When the wedding is over, we go over to where the reception is to be held at, which is just about 100 feet away from the ceremony site. The reception is even more beautiful than the ceremony was. We then go over to the tables and take a seat.

"I'm going to go get something to drink, do you want anything?" Chris asks. Man, he is so thoughtful!

"Sure." I say with a then walks off to get some drinks. After a bit he comes back and we sit there and talk for a little while, while we wait for the bridal party to make their entrance. After the reception has been going on for a while, the party gets started. Chris and I then hit the dance floor, and are having a good time. Then after a while, a slow song plays and Chris takes me by the hand and we dance. After a bit, my dad walks over to us.

"Do you mind if I steal this dance from you?" Dad asks.

"Not at all." Chris says. I then start dancing with my dad.

"I didn't think that you liked to dance with anyone, but mom." I say.

"I wanted to spend some time with you." He says.

"I'm glad that you wanted to." I say.

"You are really going to be hard to replace when you go away for college." He says.

"Well, I'm sure that it won't feel like any time at all." I say. "Hopefully, the next four years will fly by. At least you'll have basketball to keep you busy."

"That's true." He says. "I have a feeling that it is going to be difficult to play again, it's been a few years."

"I know that you will do a great job, and I will try my best to see a few of your games." I say.

"You better." He says with a laugh.

"When do you have to go to Los Angeles?" I ask.

"About the same time that you have to go to Stanford." He says.

"That's going to be hard for mom." I say.

"I'm sure that it will, but I spoke with grandma Montez and she agreed to come back to New Mexico and is going to move in and help your mom out." He says.  
"That is sweet of her." I say.

"She retired last year anyhow and she was all alone in Chicago, so I convinced her to move back here." He says.

"I feel better about leaving." I say.

"I'm glad that you do." He says. "Oh, and by the way, you did a phenomenal job singing this afternoon."

"Thank you, dad." I say.

"Trust me, I am not just saying that either." He says.

"I know, you only compliment, if you truly feel that it is true." I say.

"You are very right about that." He says. We continue to talk even after the song is over. We then go and sit down and talk some more. It has been a while since I was able to truly have a deep and meaningful conversation with him. It was really nice to be able to have that opportunity.


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36:**

So many things have happened within the last few weeks. I am super excited about starting a new chapter of my life. Tomorrow I will be moving into Stanford, but we have to leave today, since it is a fifteen hour drive . I have almost all of my things packed up in boxes and everything is organized. I take a look around my room. It looks so bare, there is still some of my furniture, but it already seems so different. My mom then walks into the room. "Are you ready to go?" She asks.

"I think so." I say.

"Well, all of your stuff is packed in the car, and we are ready to leave whenever you are." She says.

"Ok, I'll be down in a second, I think that I may have forgotten something." I say.

"Ok, take all the time you need." She says. "Just don't take too much time."

"Alright, will do." I say. I then walk around my room. I then notice a letter that I wrote to Chris, and another one that I wrote to my parents. I then take the letter that I am going to give to my parents and place it on their bed. I then grab my purse and Chris' letter and then walk out the door. I then go downstairs and a feeling of sadness overcomes me, this is the last time that I will be in this house for a long while. I then walk out to the car, and get in. My dad is driving my car, so that we would have more space for lugguage and my mom and I are taking turns driving hers. As we are about to pull out, Chris' car comes pulling into the driveway. He then darts out of his car and runs over to the passenger side of the car. I then roll down the window.

"Jess, I couldn't let you leave without saying goodbye first." He says.

"I'm going to miss you so much." I say. I then look over at my mom.

"Mom, could I have a few minutes with Chris?"

"Yeah, just don't take too long." She says. I then get out of the car. Chris and I walk off to a spot where we can have a few brief moments of privacy.

"I really, really am going to miss you." He says.

"Me too." I say. "But we are both living out our dreams."

"I know, but I never imagined that it was going to be this" He says. He then pauses for a second, I suppose he is trying to say the right word. "hard."

"I doesn't have to be." I say. "With all the technology out there, we have more opportunities than even our parents did."

"I know, but I'm afraid that you'll meet some other guy and forget about me." He says.

"I could never, in a million years forget about you." I say. "No matter who I meet, you are still my guy."

"Oh, I almost forgot, this is for you." He says. "You can open it, when you get to Stanford." He then hands me a letter.

"That's funny, I have a letter for you too." I say. "You can open it whenever you feel like it." I then hand him a letter.

"Thank you, that is very sweet of you." He says. He then gives me a hug. "You probably need to get going."

"I know, but I don't want to." I say. "I love you."

"I love you too." He says. I then walk off with tears in my eyes. He then runs over towards me and kisses me. "I guess this is goodbye."

"No, it isn't." I say.

"What do you mean?" He asks.

"I mean, I will see you soon." I say. "Goodbyes are way too hard, and we will see each other in November, if not sooner."

"I hope that it will be sooner." He says.

"Maybe it will." I say. "See you soon, and I will call you when I get moved in to Stanford."

"Call me, sooner if you want to." He says. "I want to be able to hear your voice."

"I will." I say.

I then kiss him again and walk off. I then go back to the car and get in. As we pull away, I wave back at Chris. I really am going to miss him. He means the world to me, but not only will I miss him I know for a fact that I will miss my family as well. It is going to be hard, but at least I know that I can count on my family to pick up the phone whenever I call, even if it is at two o'clock in the morning and I just need someone to talk to because I had a nightmare. Knowing this makes things easier.

* * *

Several hours later, we finally arrive at in the town where the university is located. We then check into our hotel and as soon as I change my clothes, I fall asleep. It is sort of crazy, that this is the town that I will be spending the next four years in. I have a little bit of apprehension about being here. It isn't just a quick drive, in fact it takes about seventeen hours by car to get home. The quickest way is by plane, and even then it could take a little while. The next morning when we all wake up, we grab some breakfast, and then head over to the university. It is massive, but I couldn't be anymore excited. I toured here my junior year and I instantly fell in love with the campus. It is so cool to finally be coming here.

"Jess, we need to check in and get your key and then we can unload your things." Mom says.

"Ok." I say. I then go over to where I need to go and get a packet of information, as if I already haven't gotten a ton of things already. I then look inside and I find my key.

"So where is your dorm at?" Zach asks. I then look at the paper, and mom glances at it as well.

"You are staying in the same dorm that I had when I was here." She says. "I'm sure that it has been updated by now though."

"Do you remember where it is at?" I ask.

"Yeah." She says. "It isn't that far from here either."

We then drive around a little bit, and we finally make it to my dorm. We then start bringing things into my dorm room. It is nice, not too nice but I like it alot. I then start arranging things like I want it to be. My room mate then walks in with her parents. She then starts setting up things too.

"Jess, I didn't know that your dad was NBA star Troy Bolton." Heather, my room mate says.

"Yeah, I guess I left that out when we met for coffee." I say.

"You did." She says. "But it's really cool." I just smile. My parents then walk over to me.

"I think that, that is everything." My dad says.

"Thank you for the help." I say. "It's no problem at all." Dad says.

"This must be your room mate." Mom says.

"Yes, I am." Heather says. "I'm Heather Briggs."

"It's nice to meet you, Heather." My mom says.

"It's nice to meet you." My dad says.

"It's nice to meet you both, Mr. and Mrs. Bolton." Heather says.

"You don't have to be that formal." My dad says. "You can call us Troy and Gabriella."

"Ok, I'll remember that." She says.

"Are your parents here?" My mom asks.

"No, they actually just left." She says.

"Oh." Mom says.

"Well, we're going to head out." Dad says.

"You guys are staying the night at the hotel, right?" I ask.

"Yeah, it would be better to start out tomorrow." He says. "If you need anything, just call us. We are going back to the room to change, and then are probably going to get something to eat. You're coming with us right?"

"Yeah." I say.

"And your room mate and her family are more than welcome to join us, if they want to." Dad says.

"I'll ask, and then let you know." I say.

"Alright, sounds good." He says. "See you in a little bit."

"Alright, bye dad." I say. "Bye mom."

"Bye sweetheart." They both say at the same time. They then leave.

I then start going through my clothes and start putting some of them in my drawers and in my closet. After a little while, my family and I go out to eat with Heather and her family. We have a good time, except for the fact that Heather keeps on gawking at my dad. She keeps going on and on about how cute he is, and then keeps going on and on about how great of a basketball player he is. I'm surprised that her parents aren't embarrassed, but I guess that it will be alright. I will be living with her until at least December but I have a feeling that it may end up being the entire four years, or at least I have a feeling that is what she is going to want. When we get done, I go to my dorm and get changed for bed, I know that the next couple of weeks are going to be very, very hard for me. I know that every moment that I can, I will spend with my family. One thing that I have learned is that I need to truly cherish moments that I have with the people that I love so dearly. After a short amount of time, I drift off to sleep.

* * *

Some time has passed, and my family is preparing to leave to go back home to Albuquerque. Fortunately, I am able to see them before they leave. I am standing in the parking lot at a restaurant and it is bittersweet knowing that most likely this is the last time I will get to see my family for a while. I am excited about new adventures, but at the same time I am apprehensive about it all. It is a hard thing to comprehend.

"Jess, I'm going to miss you so much." Zane says. "Who's going to be there to cheer me one during all of my basketball games?"

"You'll still have all of us, buddy." Zach says.

"Oh, yeah." He says. "But it still won't be the same."

"I know, but don't worry I will be there whenever I can." I say.

"You better." He says. I laugh and give him a hug.

"I'm really going to miss you." I say. "Zach, I'm going to miss you too."

"I know that you will." Zach says. "And I'll miss you too. Who else will I have to get advice about girls from?"

"Well, you could ask mom." I say.

"You know what I mean." He says.

"I do." I say. I then give him a hug. I then move over to Caleb. I know that he isn't one to hug people that often and so I plan to just give him a fist bump, but he surprises and actually gives me a hug.

"I know that I rarely show it, but I love you so much and I'm going to miss you." He says, and he is almost in tears.

"Don't cry, you'll end up making me cry." I say. I then start tearing up. "I'm going to miss you so much. You all mean so much to me, but don't worry, I'll be back before you know it."

"I know, but it is going to be super hard." He says.

"But, if anyone can handle it I know that you can." I say. "You are a great guy, and just enjoy everything experience you have."

"Thank you, and I will." He says. He then gives me another hug.

"Now, its my turn." Mom says. "Honey, I'm so proud of you and I know that you will do a great job here at my Alma mater."

"Thanks mom." I say.

"And know this, I will always be there for you whenever you need me." She says. "Call me whenever you want."

"Ok, I will remember that." I say. I then give her a hug, and then take Brie from my mom and hold onto her for a minute.

"Things are going to be so different without you around." She says.

"It's going to be different here too." I say. I then hand Brie back to mom and then I walk over to dad. All I can do is just hug him. I don't say that I have favorites, but I'm a daddy's girl.

"I'm so proud of you, and I know that while it is going to be hard to be away from home, I know that you will be fine." He says. "You are going to excel here, I can already tell."

"Thank you, dad." I say. "I don't know why, but it's just so hard to say goodbye."

"Well, word of advice never think of it as goodbye, just as see you later." He says.

"That's what I told Chris." I say.

"See, you already know the right things to say, but you need to start listening to your own advice." He says. I just laugh.

"I know, but that is something that I need to work on." I say.

"Yeah, you do." He says. We both then laugh. "No matter where we end up or how far apart we all are, just remember this one thing, we're all in this together."

"I'll try to remember that." I say.

I then give him one more hug, and then they all load up, and I wave goodbye to them. I wait until they pull out of the parking lot, I then get into my car and drive a short half mile distance back to the university. After I park, I walk up the stairs to my dorm. No one is around, and it is kind of quiet. I for the first time feel alone. I then quickly remember that I have a letter from Chris that I never opened. I then pull it out of my purse. I then open it up and start reading it.

Dear Jessica,  
It's crazy that for the first time in seventeen years we are more than five hundred miles apart. It seems unfathomable. I know that the next few months are going to feel like forever, but I'm hoping that they will just fly by. I can't wait until December when I will get to see my best friend again. I'm excited for you, and I know that you will blow everyone out of the water at Stanford. Remember that if you ever need anyone to talk to, I am around and will talk to you about anything. I don't want for you to hesitate to call or text me. It might help the time to go by quicker. Anyhow, I love you so much and wish the best for you as you are at Stanford. Good luck, and remember We're All In This Together.

Sincerely, Chris

* * *

**Well that is the end. Thank you to all that have read the story. I really have enjoyed writing this. I would love to hear feedback about this story!**

**Also just so you know (And I'm sure that you all do) I do not own any of the songs or characters used in this story, except for my original characters that I created.**

**Also, if you are looking for a continuation, check out the sequel 'Through It All' **


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